UDUPI: Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat said the Karnataka government through a high powered committee has decided to find a solution to the hijab row, however till the report is submitted to the government by the committee, the status quo will have to be maintained at the Women's Government PU College, Udupi.
Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, January 26, 2022, he said as per the order of state government, hijab is not allowed.
Bhat termed the entire hijab issue as a creation of some vested interests and this was done to harm the harmonious atmosphere in the college campus. ''The high powered committee constituted by the government will study the existing norms with regard to various orders passed by the courts in the past about dress code and uniform. The committee will study the dress code and uniform norms being followed in various states before submitting its report to the state government. Till that report is received by the state government from the committee, status quo will have to be followed at the Women's Government PU College, Udupi and hijab will not be allowed,'' he said.
Bhat further citing examples of dress code being followed in other government and private educational institutions in his constituency said that the development committees in the respective colleges have not been allowing hijab or headscarves as wearing it is not considered as being compliant to dress code.
Further, Bhat said former police officer turned Congress leader G A Bava leading a federation of Muslim unions met him and Bava was apprised of the real ground of the issue and he was told that allowing hijab would lead to unnecessary communal issues in the college campuses.
''G A Bava has then agreed to talk to the parents of the girls wanting to wear hijab and parents of those six girls will be convinced by the principal of the college. If they do not agree, they can not be taken inside the classes, but online classes may be conducted in order to make them appear for the examination. Next year, maybe those students can move to other colleges wherever their demand is met," Bhat said while stating that he still hopes those students do not fall prey to the agenda of a few vested interests.