Karnataka CM says saffron shawls not allowed in classrooms after hijab order revoked

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday clarified that saffron shawls would not be allowed in educational institutions, a day after the Congress government issued orders allowing students to wear limited traditional and faith-based attire such as hijabs and turbans along with their prescribed uniforms in schools and pre-university colleges across the state.

The directive issued on Wednesday by the Department of School Education and Literacy revoked a controversial 2022 order issued by the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government that had, in effect, barred the wearing of hijabs in schools and colleges. The move reignited political debate in the state, with the BJP accusing the Congress government of undermining uniform rules in schools and colleges.

The clarification came amid mounting political criticism and warnings from some right-wing groups that students would begin wearing saffron shawls to classrooms if hijabs were allowed.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah said the state government’s position was limited to permitting existing religious and cultural practices alongside prescribed school uniforms, and not introducing new forms of attire. “Saffron shawls are not allowed. Those shawls cannot be worn. Turbans, sacred thread, Shiva dhara, rudraksha, and hijab can also be worn,” Siddaramaiah said.

He added that only practices already in existence would be recognised under the revised policy. “When we say turbans, we mean practices that already exist. Nothing new can be introduced,” he said.

The controversy first emerged in January 2022 at a government pre-university college in Udupi, where a group of Muslim students said they had been barred from classrooms because they wore hijabs. Similar disputes soon surfaced in other districts, triggering demonstrations by students both supporting and opposing the use of such headscarves.

The state government issued an order on February 5, 2022, directing students to follow uniforms prescribed by educational institutions. In places where no official uniform existed, students were instructed to wear clothing consistent with “equality, integrity and public order.” This order became the basis for restricting hijabs in several colleges. The issue soon escalated into one of Karnataka’s most divisive political debates.

The case later reached the Supreme Court of India, where a two-judge bench delivered a split verdict in October 2022. One judge upheld the restrictions while the other ruled in favour of the petitioners. The matter was referred to a larger bench, where it remains pending.

The Congress, which was in Opposition at the time, opposed the restrictions and promised to revisit the issue if elected to power in Karnataka.

Union minister Pralhad Joshi questioned why the state government had acted while the matter remained pending before the Supreme Court. “When the issue is pending in the Supreme Court, what is the hurry to take a decision on this?” Joshi said in a statement.

He argued that school uniform policies were intended to create equality among students and accused the Congress government of introducing religion into educational spaces. “School and college uniform codes aim to foster equality among students. However, the Congress government is undermining this by bringing religion into the uniform policy. Instead of equality, it is promoting discrimination,” he said.

Joshi also objected to the government’s position on saffron shawls. “A saffron shawl is not religious, yet the Congress government is behaving like an authoritarian regime by deciding which colours students can or cannot wear,” he said.

He accused the Karnataka government of pursuing a “divisive policy” and weakening discipline in schools, adding that the Centre was advocating a Uniform Civil Code while the state government was “dividing people along religious lines”.

The Karnataka BJP president B. Y. Vijayendra also attacked the decision, describing the withdrawal of the earlier order as politically motivated. “The decision of the Congress government to withdraw the disciplined uniform rule, which the previous BJP government had implemented with the aim of bringing equality in educational institutions and unity among school children, is condemnable,” Vijayendra said.

“The very purpose of the uniform is to instil in children the initiation into equality by erasing distinctions of high and low, caste, and religion,” he added.

Vijayendra accused the Congress government of engaging in “vote bank politics” and urged it to reverse what he called a “Tughlaq-like order”.

The government’s decision, however, was welcomed by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, which said allowing hijabs in educational institutions would help Muslim girls continue their education without fear or uncertainty.

In a statement, Mohammed Saad Belgami, Ameer-e-Halqa of the organisation’s Karnataka unit, said the hijab issue had created anxiety among students and families over the past few years. “Educational institutions should be safe spaces where students can pursue their education with dignity, confidence and a sense of security,” Belgami said.

He said the withdrawal of the 2022 government order reflected respect for constitutional protections related to religious freedom and educational rights. He also urged educational institutions to implement the decision peacefully and ensure campuses remained free from discrimination.