"Students Should Come Per Dress Code": Rajasthan Minister Over Hijab Row

Amid hijab row and dress code in schools of Rajasthan, BJP leader and state Minister Jawahar Singh Bedam on Tuesday stressed the need for students to adhere to school uniforms and urged them to come in uniform.

The controversy over hijab row erupted after BJP MLA Balmukund Acharya, who, while attending a Republic Day celebrations in a school in Jaipur allegedly raised questions of whether there are two types of dress codes in the school.

Reacting to this, Bedam said, "Rajasthan Government and Education Department has issued directions from time to implement the dress code. Students should come in uniform, and with that, they learn discipline. That is the temple of education where the Education Department has enforced the dress code. Students should come as per dress code".

Bedam said that the dress code is applicable for students and instructions regarding the same have been issued which should be followed.

"Will it look good if the police officer does not come in uniform but comes wearing a 'pyjama'? Will people listen to him? Many times we have seen that action has been taken against the police officers who come wearing a teddy cap. Dress code is applicable for students, instructions have been issued and they should be followed," he told ANI.

Earlier, several schoolgirls protested outside the Subhash Chowk police station on Monday demanding that the MLA Acharya should apologise and an FIR be lodged against him. They alleged that Acharya told them that hijab was not allowed. Families of some of the students also participated in the protest.

Meanwhile, Balmukund Acharya dismissed the protest against him after he visited a school in Jaipur during Republic Day celebrations, and called it "politically motivated".

"This protest was done by a few people who are doing politics. I spoke with the girls and had a good interaction with them. We spoke about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's schemes and their studies," the MLA from Hawa Mahal told ANI.

He said that during his visit to the school, he observed that the dress code was not followed on occasions like Republic Day.

"The truth is that the dress code is not observed there on occasions like Republic Day, Basant Utsav, annual functions or Independence Day. Why are students coming in burqa and hijab? What is this new rule and regulation? There is a separate madrasa for that. I have only requested that the school administration speak with the students and make them understand," Acharya said.

"I would urge the Chief Minister that a dress code be implemented in all schools and that the students come only in their school uniforms," he said.

The BJP MLA later released a video, clarifying the incident that took place during his visit to the school.

"I had asked the school principal whether the school had two different dress codes. When a Republic Day function or any government function is held, is there a different dress code? At this rate, even our children will turn up in lehenga chunni,'' he said in the purported video.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)