Moradabad College denies entry to girls for wearing Burqa; prof says 'uniform implemented'

A fresh row erupted in Uttar Pradesh after some students of the Hindu College in Moradabad were denied entry into the institute for wearing 'Burqa' despite the prescribed uniform code for students there. According to ANI, the girl students have alleged that the institute was not letting them enter the college campus wearing the Burqa and that they are compelling them to remove it at the entrance gate.

Notably, the college administration has made it mandatory for the students to come in uniform when they are coming to the college. A notice was passed earlier regarding the uniform code for the college. 

When the students were barred from entering the college on Wednesday as they were not in the said uniform, a scuffle also broke out between the students, the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha workers, and the college professors who remained adamant about sticking to the prescribed rules. 

The Hindu College professor, Dr AP Singh said that they have implemented a dress code for the students and anybody who refuses to follow it will be barred from entering the college campus, ANI reported. The Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha members responded to this by submitting a memorandum to the College Administration to include Burqa in the dress code for the college and enable the girl students to attend classes while wearing it.

Hijab row: Karnataka HC verdict on uniform

A similar incident took place in Karnataka when Udipi's Kundapur PU college's principal - Rudra Gowda in December 2021 issued a circular - banning students from wearing hijabs in classrooms, claiming it was to ensure uniformity in classrooms. This decision led to uproar, with Hijab-clad female students and students wearing headscarves were stopped from attending college.

The matter went to the Karnataka HC and on March 15, 2022, a bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justices Krishna Dixit and JM Khazi ruled that Hijab is not an essential religious practice. The court eloquently resolved important concerns relevant to the Hijab row in its 129-page judgement, saying that the prescription of the school uniform is only a reasonable restriction that students cannot object to.

(With inputs from ANI)