TUMAKURU: Tension prevailed at the century-old Government Empress PU College for girls here on Wednesday when a group of students took out to a protest march after the institution did not let them attend the classes wearing burkha and hijab.
As the classes began at 10 am, 72 students hailing from the Muslim community entered the premises wearing the burkha and hijab. However, 22 of them were allowed to attend the classes after they removed the Islamic attire.
But about 40 of them studying in both first and second years PUC classes insisted that they should be allowed in the classrooms with the burkha and the hijab. When principal Shanmukhappa tried to convince them saying that he can't allow it following the High Court's interim order, they resisted.
Later, they took out a protest rally up to the town hall circle and shouted 'Allahu Akbar' slogans.
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The police deployed at the institution also had a tough time. "Finally, three of the girls who earlier protested got convinced through their parents and attended classes without burqa and hijab," the principal told The New Indian Express.
Tahasildar Mohan Kumar GV, DySP Srinivas, local corporator Nayaz Ahmed also visited the college and held discussions with the students.
The college has 1,582 students on its roll of which 267 hailed from the Muslim community. On Wednesday, about 550 students had turned up to attend the classes. The practical examinations for the second PUC students will commence on Thursday.
The college was established during 1922-23 to cater to the educational needs of the girls hailing from poor and lower-middle-class families. The institute has also a high school on the premises as recognised by the Karnataka government.