Watch: ‘Reporter’ chases student wearing hijab in Karnataka school

As things continue to heat up in the Karnataka hijab row, new visuals have emerged of schools and colleges barring students wearing hijab from entering their premises. The media has also been closely following the issue, which has now sparked a nationwide debate.

On Tuesday, the media coverage took a new turn. A video, purportedly showing a local reporter chasing after a student, was circulated on social media. The video shows a young girl trying to run away from media persons while a man, seemingly a reporter, runs after her whilst pointing a phone in her direction, trying to capture footage.

The video was reportedly shot by Kannada news platform Dighvijay News 24x7, and was posted on Twitter by fact-checker and co-founder of Alt News, Mohammed Zubair.

The Hindustan Gazette claimed the incident took place at a school in Shimoga where, one day ago, Muslim girls had to miss class after refusing to remove their hijab.

The row began in December when an educational institute in Udupi barred Muslim students from wearing a hijab in class. A group of students wearing saffron shawls subsequently held protests against hijab on campus. On February 10, the Karnataka High Court passed an interim order that restrained students from wearing any religious clothing in the classroom while the matter was pending in court. The order only applies to institutes that have a uniform dress code.

Meanwhile, the college development committee president, who is also a BJP MLA, of the Udupi institute has claimed there’s an “international conspiracy” afoot and that’s partly why he refused to allow the girls in class. Watch his interview with Newslaundry here.