Karnataka: The second year PU exams in Karnataka commenced o Friday under highetened security and in the shadow of the Hijab row. According to the education department around 6.84 lakh students are appearing for the exams across 1,076 centres set up for exams scheduled until May 18th.
Amidst the ban two girls today were turned away from a centre after they refused to remove the Hijab and the authorities strictly denied entry with the scarf.
Aliya Assadi and Resham had received their hall tickets and arrived at the Vidyodaya PU College in Udupi wearing hijabs to sit for their examinations.They reportedly urged the invigilators and the college principal for 45 minutes but were ultimately denied any exemption to the court ruling maintaining the Karnataka government’s ban. They were subsequently spotted departing the premises silently without giving the examination. Separate closures were made for Muslim girls to remove their hijab and appear for exams.
“Hijab is important and so is writing and passing the exam. Our future depends on our exam results,” a Muslim girl student told reporters in Bengaluru appearing for the exam without Hijab.
The Karnataka High Court had last month upheld the order of the state government banning wearing clothes which disturb equality, integrity and public order in schools and colleges, which a section of Muslim girls had challenged in the court. Elaborate security arrangements were made at the exam centres preventing any congregation of people to create any ruckus.