After outrage broke out over a government-aided college in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad denying entry to girl students wearing burqas, the college authorities clarified that the students are allowed to wear hijabs or burqas only of the prescribed grey colour.
Principal of SRK College, Prabhaskar Rai, claimed that this is an old order which mandates students to wear uniform and carry ID cards. He said the seven-year-old dress code is only being implemented now.
“We have stopped the entry of all students who are not carrying identity cards with them and are not in the college uniform. There is no restriction of burqa inside the college. Girl students have been asked to wear only grey burqas as prescribed by the college authorities. The dress code of girls students is grey kurta and white pyjama.”Prabhaskar Rai, principal of SRK College told The Indian Express
Rai told the daily that the college has also made “facilities” for the girl students who want to wear burqa of any other colour. “They have been asked to remove their burqa if it is not grey in the changing room before entering classes. Changing rooms are located next to their classrooms,” he said.
Clarifying on the photograph doing the rounds on social media where the principal is seen holding a baton near the burqa-clad women in the college premises.
“The photograph has nothing to do with the dress code restriction. There are many monkeys on the campus and we carry the baton in case any monkey attacks us,” Rai said in his defence.
He further denied seeking police intervention in implementing the dress code and using the baton to threaten the students.
Firozabad Superintendent of Police, Sachindra Patel, also denied being involved in enforcing the dress code in college.
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