'Best Teacher Award' To Karnataka Principal Withheld Over "Anti-Hijab" Stand

The Karnataka government has withheld its decision to give the best teacher award to a principal of a government college over his alleged anti-hijab stand during the headscarf row in the state two years ago, sources in the Education Department said on Thursday.

Ramakrishna BG, principal of Government Pre-University College at Kundapura in Udupi district, was supposed to receive the honour on Teachers' Day, but the decision was kept on hold after the Congress government drew criticism from some activists of the Muslim community, the sources said.

"The reason behind the anger against the teacher is his alleged stand during the hijab row," a department official said. "The government had earlier announced his name but now it has been withheld," a source said.

Ramakrishna was not available for comment.

Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa clarified that the award is only withheld and not cancelled.

"There was a government order regarding the issues those days it had happened. At that time the behaviour of the teacher was in question. That is the information I got after announcing the award. So I have told the department to check that and get back to me. So, till that it is only withheld. It has not been cancelled," the minister told PTI.

On whether the decision was taken based on the allegations, he said people will say allegation and controversy, but his department does not look at it that way.

"... But it's my duty to check that and take the next step," Bangarappa said.

Explaining further, the minister said, "If he was wrong I would have immediately cancelled. If he is right then I would have already given. When something is in question it is my duty to check that, which I am going to do. That is what I have told my officers to do." He asked people not to politicise this issue.

BJP MLA from Mangalore City North constituency Y Bharath Shetty slammed the government, saying that it insulted a teacher by succumbing to the "pressure created by jihadi elements".

"The Congress government in Karnataka has done a very shameful thing by withdrawing the best state level teacher award to Ramakrishna BG. The state government had announced the award after following the checklist and found him eligible for the award," Shetty said.

"The main reason behind withdrawing the award is that the jihadi elements, organisations like SDPI and PFI tweeted that this teacher should not be given this award because during the hijab issue he had stopped the students wearing hijab from entering the college," he said.

The MLA said Ramakrishna had only followed the then official order, being a government employee. "It is very insulting for the teaching community that you announce an award, and then you take it back because some jihadi elements are forcing you to do so."