Satna: A video of the students being denied entry into an Autonomous PG College in Madhya Pradesh s Satna district on Saturday. In the video, M Com student Ruksana Khan is asked to remove her burqa in order to attend the exam.
In the meantime, students from other groups, including some associated with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the students wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), opposed the woman wearing hijab-burqa during the examination.
Acting swiftly to the incident, college principal Shivesh Pratap Singh, advised Ruskana not to wear hijab to the school and also took confirmation from her in writing. “All the students are strictly told that they will be allowed only in proper uniform and face masks in the college examination. But she (Rukshana Khan) arrived wearing hijab-burqa. She has given a written undertaking that she will come in the college only in uniform,” Shivesh Pratap Singh said.
The controversy in the state flared up after, State Education Minister, Inder Singh Parmar said that the said was looking forward to implementing a policy on uniform dress code for all educational institutions. A day later, Home Minister Narottam Mishra in a press briefing defied the proposal to ban hijab-burqa in educational institutions in the state.
The Hijab controversy that began in Karnataka in December last year, spread across the nation. The motion has got its political twists and nationwide support. The HC is hearing the matter and has directed students to maintain peace and refrain from wearing any religious attire to the schools or colleges.