Hijab controversy: Colleges reopen in Karnataka, with some exceptions
The Hindu
There were several instances of girls returning home after being denied entry with hijab in PU colleges
Pre-university and degree colleges in Karnataka, which had closed after the row over dress code took a violent turn on some campuses, reopened on February 16 with high security in sensitive areas. It was college day as usual in most campuses in Bengaluru. However, some colleges, which had seen skirmishes between students, remained shut.
Karnataka Higher Education Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan had clarified on February 15 that there is no ban on wearing of hijab in degree colleges since they have no prescribed uniform. The row had erupted in pre-university colleges with a section of Muslim girl students being barred from wearing hijab in classrooms. A section of Hindu boys had insisted on wearing saffron shawls if hijabs could be allowed in classrooms. The matter of dress code is currently being heard by the Karnataka High Court.
The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.