Mumbai: Muslim students allegedly denied entry to college unless burqas removed

Screengrab of the video that went viral on social media

Muslim students at NG Acharya and DK Marathe College in Chembur claim they were denied entry to the junior college on Wednesday unless they removed their burqas at the gates. It's worth noting that until last year, the college did not impose any clothing restrictions on students.

However, things took a turn in July when the college introduced a uniform policy for Std XI and Std XII students, catching new joinees off guard. Akhtar, a third-year degree college student, expressed his concern, saying, "Firstly, new joinees were not informed about this decision prior to admission. Even then, students complied with the decision and changed their clothing in the washroom."

Surprisingly, there are no clothing restrictions for undergraduate courses. Akhtar himself witnessed a tense confrontation between female students and college security, capturing the incident on video. He stood in solidarity with the protesting students, stating, "I sided with them, and we all stood at the gate in protest. Soon, the issue caught the attention of local leaders and the press."

In the video, the students are seen attempting to reason with the guard, highlighting that the uniform is slightly transparent, making them uncomfortable to remove their burqas in public.

After a day filled with tensions, the college has granted permission for students to wear burqas until August 10. Akhtar mentioned, "We were told a final decision would be taken in the matter by then."

Mansoori Sanib, a Std XII arts student, said that while not many students have a problem with the uniform rule, the real issue lies in having to take it off at the gates. Efforts to reach college principal Dr Vidyagauri Lele for comment were unsuccessful.