Bengaluru, Feb 17 (IANS): In further hardening of the stand, the Karnataka government on Thursday issued a circular which says that wearing of hijab is not permitted in minority institutions run under the state government.

Secretary for Minority Welfare, Haj and Wakf Department Major P. Manivannan stated that, the interim order of the full bench of the High Court also applies to residential schools run under the Minority Welfare Department and Moulana Azad Model Schools (English medium).

All educational institutions run by the Minority Welfare Department have been ordered not to allow hijab, scarves, saffron shawls and other religious symbols in the classrooms.

The circular quoted the order, "we request the state government and all their stakeholders to reopen the educational institutions and allow the students to return to the classes at the earliest. Pending consideration of all these petitions, we restrain all the students regardless of their religion or faith from wearing saffron shawls (Bhagwa), scarfs, hijab, religious flags or the like within the classroom, until further orders."

"We make it very clear that this order is confined to such institutions wherein the college Development Committees have prescribed the student dress/uniform." The circular mentions that it is issued after it has come to the notice that women students are attending classes in hijab.

Students wearing hijab have already started questioning the authorities and staging protests as well as submitting memorandums to the concerned Deputy Commissioners across the state.