Hatred for Muslims has been "normalised" in the country which "no longer celebrates its diversity", alleged National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Tuesday as protests for and against 'hijab' intensified at colleges in parts of Karnataka.
He was commenting on a video that has surfaced on social media showing some men sporting saffron scarves heckling a woman in 'hijab' and raising slogans at a college in Karnataka.
"How brave these men are and how macho they must feel while targeting a lone young lady! Hatred for Muslims has been completely mainstreamed and normalised in India today," he said.
"We are no longer a nation that celebrates our diversity, we want to punish and exclude people for it," Mr Abdullah said in a tweet tagging the video with it.
Tension prevailed at some educational institutions in Karnataka's Udupi, Shivamogga, Bagalkote and other parts over the 'Hijab' issue, forcing the police and authorities to intervene.
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday is hearing the petitions filed by five girls studying in a Government Pre-university College in Udupi, questioning hijab restriction in college.
The issue began in January at a government PU College in Udupi where six students who attended classes wearing headscarves were asked to leave the campus. The matter has now spread to different parts of the state, with Hindu youngsters, backed by right-wing outfits, responding by wearing saffron scarves.
Students wearing saffron scarves are also being barred from classes.
The row has also taken a political colour, as the ruling BJP stood in support of uniform-related rules being enforced by educational institutions while the opposition Congress alleged the 'hijab' controversy is part of a conspiracy to poison the minds of the young people.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hope Statehood Is Restored To Jammu And Kashmir Before Assembly Polls: Omar Abdullah Omar Abdullah's Wife Gets Supreme Court Notice Over Leader's Divorce Plea "People Deserve Better": Omar Abdullah On Amendments To Key J&K Act 150 mg Semen In Kolkata Doctor's Body, Suspect Gang-Rape: Parents To Court 2 French Rafale Jets Collide Mid-Air, Instructor, Pilot Missing Independence Day Updates: "75,000 New Seats For Medical Students In Next 5 Years", Says PM Modi "Targeted Violence Against Hindus...": Vivek Ramaswamy On Bangladesh Unrest Probe Reveals Brazil Plane Crashed One Minute After Pilots Sensed Trouble "Strictest Punishment For Crimes Against Women": PM Amid Kolkata Protests Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.