Karnataka CM to hold high-level review meet to defuse hijab row

Basavaraj Bommai. File Pic

Amid the Hijab row, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday will hold a high-level meeting with all Ministers and top officials to review the ground situation. Briefing mediapersons, the Chief Minister said, "Government has the responsibility of maintaining law and order. There will be a meeting with all the Ministers, Deputy Commissioners, SPs and ZP CEOs on Friday to review the ground situation in the districts. Accordingly, appropriate directions would be issued. I am in constant touch with the Education Minister and Home Minister. Senior officials have been instructed to be in touch with district and taluk level officers."

"All measures would be taken to maintain peace and order till the High Court delivers its judgment. Necessary measures would be taken to ensure that peace prevails and no untoward incidents happen when the schools reopen. Maintain peace without heeding rumours," Bommai said. The Chief Minister said dress code issue in schools that rocked the state has entered the portals of the High Court and urged everyone to maintain peace and respect the court verdict.

"The anxiety among the students has subsided after declaring holiday to schools and colleges. No untoward incident has been reported. A few visual clips are doing the rounds in the last two days. But do not fall prey to any provocations," Bommai appealed. Amid the hijab controversy, the Karnataka government on Thursday 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 Chief Justice has said that the three-member Bench of the High Court would hold day to day hearings and has appealed to maintain peace till a verdict is pronounced. The Chief Justice has instructed not to wear any religious garment in schools and colleges. The CJ has instructed reopening of schools too," Bommai said. Karnataka High Court, after the hearing of petitions challenging the ban on hijab in colleges, on Thursday asked students not to wear 'religious things' till the disposal of the matter.

A bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice JM Khazi of the High Court said that it will pass an order directing the reopening of colleges and asked students not to insist on wearing religious things till the disposal of the matter. "Peace and tranquillity must be restored," the court said while adjourning the matter for Monday. 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.

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