Hijab-Clad Muslim Students Denied Entry in Udupi’s Postgrad College

MGM College justified the move by saying that hijab is not in compliance with the Karnataka High Court order.

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday, 23 February, continued hearing petitions filed by Muslim girl students seeking protection of their right to wear hijab to classes.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Amidst the ongoing Karnataka High Court hearing on the hijab ban, a few postgraduate Muslim students were denied entry to Udupi's Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) College on Thursday, 23 February, by the college principal, PTI reported.

The principal also asked the other Muslim students who were already attending classes in hijab, to leave the premises.

The college justified the move by saying that hijab is not in compliance with the high court order and that they were clear in informing the students about disallowing donning a hijab in class.

There are over 50 postgraduate students in the college.

The students who were denied entry to the college complained that they were not even allowed to attend classes or enter college premises, which is in violation of the high court order. They claimed that they could not appear for their examination due to the ban on hijab.

The high court, in its interim order, has banned religious attire, including hijab, in all degree and pre-university colleges until the matter is resolved in court.

The students who were denied entry to the MGM College complained that they were not even allowed to attend classes or enter the college premises, which is in violation of the high court order. They claimed that they could not appear for their examination due to the hijab ban.

The High Court Order

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday, 23 February, clarified that its interim order from 10 February applied to both degree colleges and pre-university colleges where uniforms were prescribed. The court further clarified that the order applied only to students and not teachers.

"If a uniform is prescribed, it has to be followed, whether it is degree college or PU college."

Karnataka High Court

This comes a day after a single-judge bench of the high court refused to grant interim relief to students of a degree college who had asked for protection of their right to wear hijab.

(With inputs from PTI.)