BENGALURU: With schools scheduled to reopen as planned on Monday across the state, measures have been taken to make sure that peace and decorum prevails. Commissioner for Public Instruction Dr R Vishal told The New Indian Express that there is no reason to worry as the issue seems to be limited to pre-university colleges. On measures taken, he said that all Deputy Directors of Public Instruction (DDPIs) have been informed about the situation and to work towards maintaining decorum.
“All DDPIs have been strictly instructed by the chief minister and things will continue as dictated by the High Court interim order,” he added. On protests by parents on Saturday, he said, “It was an unfortunate incident, but it is a one-off issue that is very unlikely to occur again as the controversy seems to be limited only to PU colleges and higher.”
On Saturday, around a hundred parents protested against the alleged abuse of Muslim students by a teacher at a school in Chandra Layout in Bengaluru. The incident was the first in Bengaluru since the hijab controversy started. The teacher had allegedly forced students to remove their hijabs and abused the children verbally and in writing. However, the school had said it was a case of misunderstanding.
Bengaluru South DDPI S Rajendra told The New Indian Express that the issue was resolved peacefully and parents were sent home after they were appeased. The owner of the school said that an investigation would be undertaken at the school on Monday. Meanwhile, holidays for PU and degree colleges have been extended, with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai saying that a decision to reopen them will be taken after assessing the situation.