Srinagar school draws flak after denying entry to students wearing abaya

Srinagar: A Srinagar school faced protests after it allegedly denied entry to girl students in abayas.

The students of Vishwa Bharti Higher Secondary school staged a protest against the school authorities and alleged that they were not being allowed to enter the school premises wearing abaya- a loose outer garment worn by Muslim women.

The school principal vehemently rejected the accusations and said the students were only told to go to classes without wearing abaya.

The students of the school protested against its administration for “barring” wearing of abaya.

The students said on Thursday when they reached the main gate of the school as usual, they were denied entry with abayas.

The parents of the protesting girls alleged that the principal threatened the students that if they come to school wearing abaya again, they will be given a discharge certificate.

Soon after the protest broke, police reached the spot.

The principal of the school, Memroz Shafi, rejected the allegations.

She said the school administration did not impose any ban on abaya or Hijab, but the students were told to go to classes without abaya.

The principal said it is necessary for every school to follow the education code.

She said the school administration has no problem wearing abaya or Hijab of the same colour as the school uniform.

There were widespread reactions to the incident.

Former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti linked the barring of wearing abayas with the ban oN Hijab in Karnataka and said it was an attack on religious freedom guaranteed by the constitution.

She also attacked the BJP for making Jammu and Kashmir a laboratory for its plans of "changing Gandhi’s India into Godse’s India".

“It started off in Karnataka and has reached Kashmir. This is not acceptable to us. There will be a serious reaction to it because wearing clothes is a personal choice. There should be no compulsion,” Mufti said.

NC chief spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said that wearing a Hijab should be a personal choice, and there should be no interference in matters of religious attire.

“It is unfortunate to witness such incidents in a Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir. The school administration demanding the removal of Hijabs is unacceptable,” he said. “We strongly oppose this and urge immediate corrective action.”

BJP General Secretary Ashok Koul said his party was not in favour of imposing dress codes.

Chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board, Darakshan Andrabi said that every college has a uniform and it is mandatory for students or teachers to follow that code. (UNI)