Karnataka college: Hijab row sparks campus standoff
Things got tense at CJ Bellad Government First Grade College in Karnataka when Hindu students protested Muslim girls wearing hijabs by showing up in saffron shawls.
Both groups gathered on campus, bringing the ongoing debate about religious clothing in schools right into the spotlight.
How did it get here?
Deputy Speaker Arvind Bellad accused Congress of using the hijab issue for "vote bank" politics and suggested those wanting to wear hijabs should study in madrasas.
He said, "If at all they want to wear hijab, if at all they want to pursue their religious studies, let them go to madrasas, let them not come to government schools or colleges."
This clash is part of a bigger story that started back in 2022, when a similar dispute led to a statewide ban on religious attire with dress codes—a rule that's still being reviewed by the Supreme Court after lots of protests and legal twists.