People seen chanting of 'Jai Shriram' on seeing burqa-clad girls entering college

The Madhya Pradesh government has ordered an inquiry after a video showed a group of people raising "Jai Shriram" slogans on seeing two girls clad in burqa and hijab entering a government college in Datia town.

Ordering the inquiry, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra, who is the government spokesman, reiterated on Tuesday that there was no proposal to ban the wearing of the hijab in Madhya Pradesh. The viral video clip showed some young men raising slogans of 'Jai Shriram' after seeing two girls clad in burqa and hijab entering the campus of the government post-graduate college in Datia.

This incident occurred on Monday (February 14). The college had recently issued an order banning students from wearing religious attire, including hijab.

“Datia is a living example of communal harmony. I have seen the video of Datia PG College. I have directed the district collector to inquire into the order issued by its principal. The state government has already clarified that there is no proposal to ban hijab in Madhya Pradesh and nobody should create confusion on this issue,” Mishra, who is MLA from Datia, said in a video statement.

Ajay Singh Raj, a Bajrang Dal activist, had said in a statement that saffron activists had paid a surprise visit to the Datia PG college campus and found that some students reached there wearing burqa and hijab, "which is not as per the Constitution". "If this (wearing of burqa and hijab) continues, Hindu students will reach the said college in the 'bhagwa' (saffron) uniform," he said and threatened to launch an agitation against the college management. Meanwhile, Congress MLA from Bhopal (Central) Arif Masood thanked the state home minister for ordering an inquiry.

He said since the state government had already clarified that there was no proposal on cards to ban the wearing of hijab on campus, the educational institutions should not bear any confusion in mind in this regard. He urged people to refrain from spreading misinformation on this issue. "I appeal to educational institutions to protect students as examinations are underway," the MLA added.

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