Hijab row: Police carries out flag march in Udupi ahead of re-opening of schools

Police personnel held a flag march in Udupi district as a precautionary measure for the maintenance of law and order ahead of reopening of schools up to 10th standard from February 14 which were earlier closed due to ongoing hijab row in the state.

Amid the hijab controversy, the Karnataka government on Thursday had extended the closure of schools and colleges till the end of this week. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said that schools in the state will reopen on Monday for classes up to class X. However, the reopening date of colleges has not been announced.

The Hijab protests began on February 4 at the Government Girls PU college in Udupi district in Karnataka when some students alleged that they had been barred from attending classes. During the protests, some students were allegedly denied entry to college wearing hijab by Muslim women earlier this month. Following these protests, a three-day holiday from February 9 has been declared in all the universities under the Department of Higher Education and colleges under the department of Collegiate and Technical Education (DCTE).

On Tuesday, the Karnataka High Court also appealed to the student community and the public at large to maintain peace and tranquillity while hearing various pleas challenging a ban on hijab in the state.