Bengaluru: Karnataka is once again witnessing a political and social storm over religious symbols in educational institutions, with several Hindu organisations launching statewide protests against the state government’s recent decision to permit students to wear religious symbols, including the hijab, in schools and colleges.
The controversy resurfaced days after the Congress-led government issued an order allowing students to continue wearing religious identifiers such as the hijab, sacred thread (janeu), Shivadhara, rudraksha and turbans in educational institutions. The move effectively reversed the previous BJP government’s 2022 directive that had restricted the wearing of hijabs in government educational institutions following the highly polarised hijab-saffron shawl row.
Opposing the government’s decision, members of Sri Rama Sena and various Hindu organisations have begun distributing saffron shawls to students across Karnataka. The campaign, which started on Sunday, was launched in Hubballi and is expected to be expanded to several districts in the coming days.
Leaders of the organisations claimed that the government’s latest order was discriminatory and politically motivated. They alleged that while the administration was allowing the hijab and other religious symbols, it was attempting to prevent Hindu students from expressing their religious identity through saffron shawls.
According to the protestors, the campaign is intended to highlight what they describe as the government’s “double standards” on religious expression in educational institutions. Activists distributed saffron shawls outside colleges and educational campuses, urging students to participate in the movement.
Hubballi, Karnataka: In response to the state government allowing hijab in schools and colleges, members of a Hindu organisation distributed saffron shawls to students at several colleges, including Kanakadasa College pic.twitter.com/xBFu77ZQSU
— IANS (@ians_india) June 1, 2026
The development has reignited memories of the intense hijab controversy that gripped Karnataka in 2022. At the time, the issue began in coastal Karnataka before spreading to several parts of the state. Educational institutions witnessed protests and counter-protests by students wearing hijabs and saffron shawls, eventually leading to legal battles and nationwide political debate.
The latest government order has once again placed the issue at the centre of Karnataka politics.
The controversy escalated further after caretaker Chief Minister Siddaramaiah clarified that saffron shawls would not be allowed under the new policy framework. He stated that practices that were already being followed, including the wearing of hijabs, turbans, rudraksha beads and sacred threads, would continue to be permitted. However, he maintained that saffron shawls were not part of the existing dress practices in educational institutions and therefore would not be allowed.
His remarks triggered sharp criticism from the BJP and Hindu organisations. BJP leaders accused the Congress government of indulging in appeasement politics and pursuing vote-bank considerations ahead of future elections. Party leaders questioned why certain religious symbols were being permitted while saffron shawls were excluded from the list.
Several Hindu groups echoed the BJP’s criticism, arguing that the government’s stance was likely to create fresh divisions among students. They warned that the decision could reopen communal tensions that educational institutions had been trying to overcome in recent years.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka government has defended its decision, insisting that the order merely restores and protects long-standing religious practices followed by students from different communities. Government sources maintain that the objective is not to introduce new religious symbols into campuses but to accommodate practices that have traditionally existed without causing disruption.
Education experts and civil society observers have expressed concern over the renewed confrontation. Many fear that the debate could once again shift the focus away from academics and student welfare. They have urged all stakeholders, including political parties and community organisations, to rethink state governments decision to allowing hijab in schools by violating uniform norms.
As the saffron shawl campaign gathers momentum, authorities are closely monitoring the situation across the state. Police have been instructed to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incidents on campuses.
With both political parties and community groups taking firm positions, Karnataka appears set for another round of debate over religious identity, secularism and individual freedoms in educational institutions. The coming days are expected to be crucial as the government’s order faces increasing opposition from Hindu organisations and renewed scrutiny from political stakeholders.
