Representational.
Shivamogga: A college student in Karnataka allegedly shared stickers of the Pakistan flag on a WhatsApp group, triggering a fresh bout of protests in Shivamogga district on Tuesday, India Today reported.
The student allegedly added the sticker to the message that "hijab is our right".
The WhatsApp group, which was made for online classes, saw strong protest from other students after the Pakistan flag appeared. One of the students shared the Indian flag to counter the first student, who is from Tarikere in Chikkamagaluru.
After this WhatsApp encounter, a protest erupted in the Shivamogga district, demanding the student's resignation.
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), BJP's student wing, has demanded the police to register a sedition case against the student and immediate dismissal from college.
The principal of the college said that the students created a separate WhatsApp group, and one among them sent the flag. The ABVP had notified the matter, and the school has served notice to the student's guardians. Not only the guardians had not reported before the institution, but also the student's phone remains switched off, the principal said. He added that the institution had referred the matter to its University registrar.
Meanwhile, ABVP district convenor Dhanush Gowda alleged that the institution delayed its response to the incident. Therefore, the organisation is planning a big demonstration against college authorities.
The Karnataka High Court hearing the issue had reserved its judgment.
The hijab row in Karnataka started on January 1 after the government pre-university college in Udupi refused to admit six Muslim girls into classes wearing the headwear. They reasoned that it is against the prescribed uniform. The issue became an enormous controversy after the Muslim girls protested against the college's move and Hindu students, fuelled by rightwing outfits, staged "Anti-hijab" demonstrations. Protests from both fronts spread into more colleges, leading to faceoffs. Footage of a hijab worn girl being heckled by saffron-clad men had gone viral.