Central University of Karnataka’s assistant prof accused of ‘coercing’ students to wear Hijab

Kalaburagi: The Hyderabad-based Legal Rights Protection Forum has submitted a complaint against the Central University of Karnataka’s Department of History and Archaeology Assistant Professor Abdul Majid, accusing him of compelling female students to wear hijab to gain entry into mosque premises during a field trip in Kalaburagi and Bidar districts.

Admitting that the complaint has been received from the forum, university registrar R R Biradar said that an internal probe will be conducted in this regard through constituting a committee.

Stating that the 2nd-year undergraduate history students were allegedly forced to visit the mosque despite many students expressing discomfort, during an academic field trip conducted on June 19, general secretary of forum A S Santosh has submitted a complaint to both vice chancellor and registrar on July 26, contending that the coercion is violation of article 28(3) of the Constitution. The forum has sought an action against the assistant professor 

He also argued that such a move prohibits state-funded educational institutions from compelling any student to take part in religious instruction and worship. Meanwhile, the registrar R R Biradar said that the university has earlier received complaints against the assistant professor from the students for not conducting classes regularly.

“A committee has already been formed to probe into the charges made by the students about the absenteeism of the assistant professor. We will form another panel to investigate the allegations made by the forum,” he
said. 

Meanwhile, the assistant professor in question denied the charges and claimed that the purpose of the visit was only to study the architecture and inscriptions.

The female students were only asked to wear a headscarf as instructed by the dargah authorities, he added.