Hyderabad school prohibits hijab, police book principal, teachers
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Hyderabad: A school in Hayathnagar and a women's college in Santosh Nagar have found themselves at the centre of a heated controversy after allegations surfaced of forbidding Muslim students from wearing hijabs and burqas on their premises.
In the first incident, three teachers and the principal of a prominent school in Hyderabad's Hayathnagar were booked following a complaint lodged by two Class 10 students and their parents. The students claimed that they had been wearing hijabs since the start of the academic year on June 12 but were reprimanded and asked to remove them by the teachers and the principal.
The incident sparked outrage, with the complainant arguing that the school's actions contradicted the notion of secularism, which should allow individuals to freely practice their faith. While the Hayathnagar police confirmed the registration of a case, they denied the allegation that the teachers had forcibly tried to remove the headscarves.
In a separate incident, students from KV Ranga Reddy Degree College for Women in Santosh Nagar accused the college administration of making them remove their burqas before entering the college premises to write their intermediate supplementary exams. The students contended that there were no rules explicitly barring them from wearing the burqa, and they felt unfairly targeted.
However, the college management cell refuted these claims, stating that there were no restrictions on students wearing burqas and that they only prevented latecomers from entering after 9:30 am.
As these allegations gained attention, Telangana Home Minister Mahmood Ali weighed in on the matter. He pledged to take action if the allegations were found to be true, emphasizing that there was no written rule prohibiting the wearing of burqas or hijabs in educational institutions.
However, his remarks took a controversial turn when he made sexist comments, criticizing individuals for wearing "Western outfits" and asserting that women wearing fewer clothes could lead to problems. His comments drew widespread condemnation for perpetuating regressive stereotypes and diverting attention from the core issue of religious freedom.
As the investigations into both incidents continue, questions remain about the legal provisions applicable in such cases. Authorities are examining the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections under which the cases have been registered to determine the appropriate legal action.
