GHAZIABAD: A group of girl students has alleged that they were denied entry to their college in Modinagar on Monday as they were wearing hijab. The college authorities, however, denied the allegations, saying the entry was refused as the students were not in proper uniform at the time.
A video circulating online purportedly shows the students protesting against the management of Ginni Devi Modi Girls PG College in Modinagar. The video, according to the police, was taken on Monday.
The students said they were denied entry to the college when they went to participate in a function, in which 69 girl students — including those who staged the protest — were to be distributed digital tablets under a state government scheme.
“We tried to talk to the principal, but she refused entry to us after she noticed that we were wearing hijab. She asked us to come in uniform. We were already in uniforms,” said Alisha (21), a BA second-year student at the college.
The students said they protested on the Meerut Road, raising slogans against the college management.
Later in the day, when the police intervened, the college authorities allowed us to let us enter, said another student who was among the protesters.
Ghaziabad police said no complaint was filed in the matter, but an investigation is underway.
According to the girls, they normally wear hijab along with their uniform while attending classes. A few college officials too said the institute would usually allow students to wear headscarves with their uniforms.
The college authorities, however, said the allegations against the management were not true. “Around 69 students were to be distributed digital tablets. Among them, 55 have been given the gadgets. The students who were not in college uniform were denied entry and were not included in the ceremony,” said
Vandana Sharma, principal.
“Now, they are making it an issue of hijab. They were not in proper uniform. We didn’t do anything wrong,” she added.
Police and the district administration, meanwhile, took a similar stand.
SP (rural)
Iraj Raja
said the police have not received a complaint so far, but started an investigation after the video was circulated widely on social media.
“An initial investigation found that the girls were not in uniform and that’s why the college didn’t allow them entry. We will question all the students who were protesting against the college,” he added.
District magistrate RK Singh told TOI that the incident was not about hijab. “If the school principal had denied entry to the students because they were not in proper uniform, then it’s no matter related to hijab. The police investigation is under way and it will be completed soon,” he said.
The allegation comes months after a hijab row in
Karnataka. In January, two government colleges in Udupi and Mangaluru had allegedly barred a few women students from entering classes for wearing hijab. By March, the incident triggered protests and boycotts.
The matter reached the Karnataka high court that upheld a state government order, saying wearing hijab is not central to Islam and the freedom of religion is subject to reasonable restrictions. A petition was subsequently filed in the
Supreme Court.
In February this year, Ghaziabad police booked 15-20 unidentified women in
Khora Colony
after they protested in support of the choice to wear hijab in educational institutes. A video of the purported incident showed police blocking their protest, after which a scuffle broke out.
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