Hijab controversy turns violent: Teacher attacked with rods in Bagalkot

Team Udayavani, Feb 8, 2022, 8:38 PM IST

Bengaluru: Hijab vs saffron shawl protests in several parts of the state turned violent on Tuesday. A teacher in Rabkavi Banahatti of Bagalkot was injured when he was attacked with rods. A mob at a college in Shivamogga district went had a fistfight as the BJP MLA Haratalu Halappa watched on.

Manjunath Naik (30), a school teacher has been attacked with iron rods by miscreants in Banahatti town of Bagalkot district after the violence erupted following students’ protest. “I was crossing the road when a group of people attacked me with iron rods on my head. I couldn’t realize what was happening,” a bleeding Manjunath Naik explained to media persons.

He was taken to hospital by the police later. The situation is still tense in Banahatti town and the police have made elaborate arrangements to avoid any incident of violence.

Local Hindu organizations have called for a bandh on February 9 against the attack on the teacher in Rabakavi Banahatti. City Councillor Sanjay Teggi told Udayavani that a self proclaimed bandh will be observed on February 9. A silent march will be held from Vaibhav Theatre to the Tahsiladar’s office, he said.

Ruckus as MLA Halappa watches on in Shivamogga

In another incident, BJP MLA Haratalu Halappa remained a mute spectator even as the violent mob attacked a student. The incident happened when Halappa visited Sagar District Hospital to inquire about injured students in the stone pelting and lathi-charge incident.

A large number of student groups have been stationed at the entrance of the hospital. The student groups tried to pour out complaints to Halappa. Hindu as well Muslim students raised slogans and condemned each other. Meanwhile, the incident took a violent turn when the saffron shawl cladding students suddenly attacked a student who was raising slogans in support of the hijab.

Even as violence was unfolding before him, MLA Halappa did not make any attempt to stop the crowd involved in violence. The video has gone viral and drawn sharp reactions from the public.

Lone Hijab-wearing student heckled in Madya

In yet another incident in Mandya district, a hijab-wearing college student had to bear the brunt of the anger of hundreds of students at PES College. The students started raising slogans of Jai Shri Ram as soon as they spotted a hijab-wearing student. Angered by this, the young woman raised the slogan of ‘Allah hu Akbar’. The mob got angrier by this and started following the lady, raising the slogan of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ more vigorously.

Prohibitory orders clamped in Davanagere

C.B. Ryshyanth, Superintendent of Police of Davanagere district where prohibitory orders are clamped till Wednesday evening stated that, the police department has taken suo motu complaint of the violence that has taken place in Davanagere and Harihara twin cities. “CCTV footage is available. Whoever is involved will not be spared. We don’t make any arrests unnecessarily. I request people not to come out of their houses,” he stated.

Govt and opposition blame each other

Siddaramaiah, the Opposition leader has slammed the ruling BJP government for the situation in the state. He said, the provocative statements by the Home and Education Ministers are responsible for the present situation in the state. The issue could have been solved at the local level in the initial stages. Now the ruling government is in a helpless state, he chided.

Meanwhile. K.S. Eshwarappa, Minister for Rural Development, and Panchayat Raj charged that Congress is behind the hijab crisis in the state for vote bank politics.

(With inputs from IANS)