Two students wearing hijab, burqa denied entry to college in Vijayawada, allowed later

The principal, however, said he had only asked the two to attend classes with a college uniform after removing their hijab at the girls' waiting hall, which was a practice followed over the years

The girls were accompanied by police to their classrooms after they were allegedly stopped for wearing hijab and burqa at Loyola College in Vijayawada on Thursday (Express Photo | Prasant Madugula)

VIJAYAWADA: Tension prevailed for a brief period at the Andhra Loyola College here when the principal Rev Fr GAP Kishore allegedly prevented two students from entering the campus for wearing a hijab. Kishore, however, said he had only asked the two to attend classes with a college uniform after removing their hijab at the girls' waiting hall, which was a practice followed over the years.

Trouble began when the two students Patan Sadikunnisa and Shaik Reshma, who were pursuing final year BSc course in the college, were allegedly asked to enter the campus after removing their hijab. The students, however, claimed that they were coming to the college wearing a hijab since the first year.

"Why are they objecting today? We don't understand. Even my identity card has a photograph where I was wearing a hijab," she pointed out. The students informed their parents who rushed to the college campus along with community elders and took up the issue with the college authorities.

As the news broke, local police rushed to the college to prevent a law and order issues in the campus.

Family members of Sadikunnisa said they received a call from her after she was prevented from entering the campus wearing a hijab. "It's about our dignity, rights and tradition, since the first year she was wearing a hijab and attending college. How can the college management now prevent her from entering the campus wearing it," she said.

The family members alleged that the the college correspondent remarked whether the students want to do what the students did in Karnataka by wearing a hijab.

Responding to the incident, principal Kishore said he has asked the two girl students to attend the classes with a college uniform after removing their hijab at the girls waiting hall. However, the students said that they have been attending the college with a hijab since the first year of joining the college.

With the situation going out of control, Kishore tendered an apology over the incident after District Collector J Nivas and City Police Commissioner Kranti Rana Tata spoke to him over the phone. Later, the students were allowed into the classes with a hijab.