The Karnataka High Court this morning began hearing a petition by five girls (File)
Amid spiraling protests by Karnataka college students over their right to wear a hijab during classes, members of a state-based right-wing group have been caught on camera asking some students of a college in Udupi district to sneak saffron scarves into the college as a form of counter-protest.
NDTV confronted a member of the Hindu Jagrana Vedike after he was spotted persuading students of the SV College in Kundapur taluk to carry the saffron scarves in their bags; this was after Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said students should not wear hijabs or saffron scarves when in class.
When questioned, Naveen Gangolli, the group's Taluk Secretary, played down the incident and said "this is Bharat... students must follow Hindu culture".
The conversation with the Hindu Jagrana Vedike members:
NDTV: "Who are you?"
"We are from Hindu Jagrana Vedike."
NDTV: "Why are you asking students to carry saffron scarves...?"
"We said... if they (the protesting Muslim students) wear a hijab, wear a scarf and come. What is there in that? They are our sisters."
"Tomorrow... if they wear a hijab, what do we do then? This college has been following certain rules for 18-20 years. These students will have to follow that. If they don't ... this is Bharat and students will follow Hindu culture," Naveen Gangolli said.
Asked about his group encouraging students to wear saffron scarves, he said: "We are not forcing them. They just showed us they are carrying saffron scarves."
This morning there was a face-off between protesting students outside another college in Udupi, where dozens - some wearing saffron scarves and others in hijabs - squared up to each other.
Visuals showed police with lathis and some in riot gear at the scene amid shouting and jostling.
Students wearing saffron scarves and headgears were allowed to enter the college as young women in the hijab stayed outside the gates, protesting what they alleged was discrimination.
The controversy erupted in December after six students at an Udupi college alleged they were stopped from attending classes for wearing the hijab.
What started at one college spread like wildfire and more colleges began shutting out students wearing the hijab. The issue snowballed after another group of students began turning up at colleges wearing saffron scarves and shouting slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram'.
There have also been reports of saffron scarves on college campuses in Chikkaballapura, Bagalkote, Belagavi, Hassan and Mandya in Karnataka, and two men have been arrested for allegedly brandishing knives during a protest by Muslim students.
The Karnataka High Court this morning began hearing a petition by five girls on the restriction against the hijab, which protesting students say is part of their right to practice their religion.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has called for calm as the court looks to settle the matter, saying: "All concerned people should keep the peace and let children study. The matter will be presented in the High Court... let's wait for it."
With input from ANI