Overview
- The Karnataka government revoked the 2022 restriction on hijabs last month and issued a new dress-code order that allows students to wear religious symbols alongside prescribed uniforms.
- On Monday, June 1, members of Sri Ram Sene and allied Hindu groups distributed saffron shawls and staged marches outside colleges in Hubballi and other districts as a visible protest against the policy reversal.
- Colleges convened emergency meetings with parent-teacher groups and local police and campus guards were deployed in sensitive coastal and university areas to prevent confrontations.
- The state government says the order restores inclusivity for long-standing religious practices while the BJP and other opponents call the move appeasement and warn of further demonstrations.
- The episode has reopened a wider debate over secular dress codes and the right to education for Muslim girls and could prompt more street mobilisations and legal or political challenges in the coming days.