BENGALURU, HUBBALLI, BIDAR, SHIVAMOGGA, DAVANAGERE: A storm of protest has engulfed Karnataka following reports that students were allegedly forced to remove their Janivara (sacred thread) before entering CET examination halls in Bidar and Shivamogga, triggering a fierce backlash from religious groups, political leaders, and civil society alike.
Union minister Pralhad Joshi led the charge, denouncing the act as a “direct assault on religious belief”. He slammed the Congress government in the state for its tepid response, calling the mere suspension of two home guards involved as “grossly inadequate”.
“It’s not just Brahmins who wear the sacred thread. This is about faith. The government must issue immediate and clear guidelines,” Joshi declared, linking the incident to what he called a pattern of Congress-led “distractions” to deflect from administrative failures.
The controversy intensified after CCTV footage from the examination centres surfaced. In Bidar, officials reportedly pressured Suchivrat Kulkarni to remove his sacred thread or forfeit his right to write the exam. In Shivamogga, another student faced a similar ordeal. Though later allowed to write the exam, the incident ignited fury, with Deputy Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde confirming the suspension of home guards and a probe into the “prima facie insult to religious sentiment”.
Across the state, outrage spilled onto the streets. In Kalaburagi and Bidar, members of Brahmin organisations torched tyres and marched in protest, demanding justice for the students and stringent punishment for those responsible. “This is a constitutional violation and a blow to Hindu sentiments,” thundered Kalaburagi Brahmana Sangha president Pandurang Deshmukh.
Protests echoed across Davanagere and Chitradurga, as demonstrators warned of growing discontent in the Brahmin community. In Mysuru, about 300 protestors chanted slogans, demanding that those responsible for this be brought to book.
JDS youth president Nikhil Kumaraswamy added his voice to the rising chorus. “A janivara is not a cheating tool! Would you ban someone wearing it from education? What threat does it pose? This is an outrageous breach of respect and dignity,” he said.
The Commission for the Protection of Child Rights has taken suo motu cognisance and demanded immediate action reports from the Karnataka Examination Authority and local administrations.