Gujarat: Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists detained for protesting against girls wearing hijab at Surat school

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At least 12 activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) were on Tuesday detained for protesting against a group of girls wearing hijab at a school in Gujarat's Surat, police said.

The VHP activists were detained from the school premises, where they had gathered to protest against some girls wearing hijab, inspector M B Rathod of Kapodra police station said.

The girls wearing hijab were not students of the school, but had gone there to attend a competitive exam for which the institute was a venue, the official said.

Activists sporting saffron scarves protested peacefully at the school even as students gave their exam. The principal informed the police, which rushed to the site and detained them, he said.

"We rushed to the school and detained 12 protesting members and brought them to the police station. No hindrance was caused to the girls taking the exam in a classroom," the inspector said.

Protesters claimed that the girls were attending school wearing hijab as part of a conspiracy to turn Gujarat into Shaheen Baug, a site of sit-in protest by Muslims against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Meanwhile, Surat Congress leader Aslam Cyclewala said some groups are deliberately trying to disturb peace in the state. "It appears to be a conspiracy of some right-wing outfits to disturb peace in Gujarat," he said.

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