Yashpal Suvarna said the murder was linked to the controversy over the hijab ban on campus
The vice principal of a college in Karnataka's Udupi, which was the first to ban the hijab on campus, has alleged the murder of a 25-year-old member of the right-wing Bajrang Dal in the state was linked to the controversy over the hijab ban.
Government Girls' PU College vice principal Yashpal Suvarna said the murder was linked to the controversy over the hijab ban on campus as Harsha, the Bajrang Dal member, had been participating in counter-protests with Hindu groups.
The Karnataka Home Minister and the police have denied any connection between the hijab row and the murder.
"This hijab controversy was created by some anti-social elements like SDPI, PFI, CFI," Mr Suvarna told NDTV, referring to Leftist groups.
On reports that some Facebook posts by Harsha had communal overtones, Mr Suvarna said, "Harsha was targeted for participating actively with Hindu groups."
Mr Suvarna, who is also the national general secretary of the ruling BJP's Other Backward Classes Morcha, said his college in Udupi is peaceful now and students are coming to class.
"We took only five minutes to clear the issue. It is peaceful now. Classes are running fine. Just for four students, we don't want 960 students to suffer," he said, referring to the petitioners in the hijab row.
The police have arrested six people after questioning about a dozen people on the murder, which spurred violence and arson in Karnataka's Shivamogga yesterday.
"All the accused have been identified and are being traced. We will arrest everyone involved, only then we can say what the motive was behind the murder," said senior police officer Pratap Reddy.
The government said the murder would be investigated from "all angles including the hijab row".
The hijab petitions are being heard in the Karnataka High Court.