Madhya Pradesh: Principal Bans Hijab in College, Home Minister Orders Probe

Narottam Mishra has ordered a probe into the decision of an MP college barring students from wearing hijabs.

The row over hijab began in December 2021 when the principal of a government pre-university college in Udupi district in Karnataka stopped Muslim girls from entering the campus as they were wearing hijabs. Photo for representation only.

(Photo: Deeksha Malhotra/The Quint)

The principal of a government college in Madhya Pradesh's Datia has issued an order banning wearing hijabs on campus, after members of right-wing groups created ruckus over hijab-clad students entering the premises.

This comes amid the ongoing controversy over Muslim girls wearing hijab to schools and colleges in Karnataka.

Videos of several right-wing group members chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ as burqa-clad girls trudged by on the college campus went viral on Tuesday, 15 February.

Following the ruckus, the college’s principal DR Rahul issued a statement banning hijabs on the college campus.

The principal in his statement said:

“All the admitted students/girls in the college are informed that they will not be allowed to enter the college in clothes belonging to any particular community or other special dress like hijab etc. All students should enter this temple of education in a decent dress."

Home Minister Narottam Mishra Orders Enquiry

However, later in the day, Home Minister Narottam Mishra, who is also an MLA from Datia, reiterated that there is no proposal to ban the wearing of the hijab in Madhya Pradesh.

He has also ordered an inquiry into the principal's order.

“Datia is a living example of communal harmony. I have seen the video of Datia PG College. I have directed the district collector to inquire into the order issued by its principal. The state government has earlier clarified that there is no proposal to ban hijab in Madhya Pradesh and nobody should create confusion on this issue.”

Narottam Mishra

BJP's Stance on Hijab Row in Madhya Pradesh

Earlier, MP School Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar, on 8 February, retracted his statement over a "ban on hijab" being considered in the state.

A day after he said that hijab should be banned in schools and a new dress code for MP schools is under consideration, Parmar said that his words were taken "out of context."

"The hijab is definitely not a part of the dress code. It is not a part of a school uniform. There should be a ban on the hijab. It will definitely be banned here as well. Further discussions will be held,” Parmar had said on Tuesday.

However, the next day, Parmar said that there won't be any new dress code and that his statement was taken out of context.

"I had earlier issued a statement on the uniforms in school. My statement was regarding equality, discipline and the identity of the schools. But some people twisted my statements and presented it with the wrong context. We won't be enforcing any new dress code and we aren't working on it," he said.

Reportedly, Parmar had received strictly worded advice to refrain from making any controversial comments on the matter in the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan the next day.

A day after Parmar's comments, Mishra had also denied any such proposal.

"There is no dispute and there is no such proposal under consideration with the government of Madhya Pradesh. There shouldn't be any confusion on this," Mishra stated.