Andhra Loyola College here witnessed high drama on Thursday morning after two students alleged that they were 'denied entry' into the classroom with hijab. Following the allegations, Muslim religious heads and others gathered at the college.
The third-year students alleged that they were asked not to enter the classroom with the hijab covering full face on Thursday by principal Fr. G.A.P. Kishore. They told the media that they had been attending classrooms with hijab since their first year in the same attire, but only now they were asked not to. The girls claimed that even in their identity cards they wore hijabs. However, in the ID card shown by one of them to the media, the girl's face could be seen.
Responding to the issue, Fr. Kishore in a statement said that the girls who came late to the college were spotted in the corridor wearing hijab.
They were asked to go to the waiting room and remove the hijab before entering the classroom, he said. "It is usual practice for students and faculty to remove the hijab in the waiting room meant for the same purpose before entering classrooms," he said.
“When the girls said that their parents wouldn’t approve of removing hijab, I asked them to bring their parents so that the College Code of Conduct could be explained once again,” Fr. Kishore said.
“In a short while, they returned to the office with a gentleman who was also told about the code. They left the office, and in 30 minutes mediapersons and outsiders gathered in the College,” Fr. Kishore said.
Collector J. Nivas had asked us to allow the students to enter classes for time being and they were allowed, Fr. Kishore said.
