Feb 15, 2022: According to a report by Reuters, controversy over banning female students from wearing hijab in India’s southern state has now reached India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, where a group of youths have demanded a ban on head covering from a college.

Authorities closed colleges in southern India’s Karnataka last week after a new uniform policy barred students from wearing headscarves in classrooms, prompting protests from Muslim students and counter protests from Hindu students. Muslims have criticized the ban as another way to marginalize the community in the Hindu majority country.

In the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, bordering New Delhi, a group of more than two dozen youths reached Dharma Samaj College in Aligarh district on Monday and handed over a memorandum to its authorities on wearing hijab on its premises. A complete ban was demanded.

The youths wore a saffron shawl around their necks – usually worn by Hindus – said Mukesh Bhardwaj, the college’s chief proctor, adding that he did not recognize them. Currently, religious clothing is not allowed in classrooms, but can be worn elsewhere on campus.

“Two years ago the same issue was raised and it has been raised again. We do not allow any type of religious uniform and we have a civil code of uniform for everyone,” Bharadwaj told Reuters by phone on Tuesday.

“There is a changing room for girls and they can change their dress there before attending class,” he said. “We are investigating the matter.”

The state of Uttar Pradesh is currently under the rule of a Hindu monk from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party and is in the midst of a multi-phase election that ends next month. Hindu-Muslim disputes are often used for political gains in the state.

Meanwhile, the hijab ban dispute has already reached courts in the southern state of Karnataka.

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