Home Minister defends decision to keep hijab girls out of college, asks cops to keep an eye on religious groups

coastaldigest.com news network

February 3, 2022

Bengaluru, Feb 3: Strongly defending the decision of two colleges in Udupi district to be intolerant towards the Muslim girls with headscarves, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra today said that children should neither wear the hijab nor saffron shawls when they go to educational institutions.

He also he directed the police to “watch” religious outfits in the coastal region where confrontation is brewing.

“Children don't go to schools to practice their religion. They should go to school thinking they're children of Bharat Mata. Inside a school compound, there should not be hijab or saffron shawls,” Jnanendra told reporters.

He was reacting to more than 100 Hindu students wearing saffron shawls at a government pre-university college in Kundapur to counter Muslim girls who sported headscarves.

“There are religious organisations that seem to have different ideas when it comes to India’s unity. So, I have asked the police to watch them,” Jnanendra said.

For a month now, eight Muslim girls have been protesting for their "right" to attend class wearing headscarves at a government women’s pre-university college in Udupi. Today dozens girl students of Kundapura junior college in Udupi district were barred from entering the campus for wearing hijab.

“The education minister has already said that there is a prescribed uniform that students should stick to. Students of all religions should sit together and study with the feeling that they’re children of the same mother. There are churches, mosques and temples where religious activities can be followed. But, in a school where an academic atmosphere is needed our children should have the culture of promoting India's unity,” Jnanendra argued.

Comments

Honorable minister what about the Saradars turbo.
Is there any guts to object common sewak tell

He forgot India is Democrat Nation he also forgot that was elected by the people to fulfill peoples demand as per our Constitution.
It's not a Kesari Desh to follow nagpur policy.
Shortly he will lose his chair.

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Who is Ramachandra Rao? Karnataka DGP, actress Ranya’s stepfather suspended over viral ‘obscene’ video

News Network

January 20,2026

Karnataka DGP (Civil Rights Enforcement) K Ramachandra Rao was suspended with immediate effect, as per a state government order issued on Monday, 19 January. The order cited conduct unbecoming of a government servant and causing embarrassment to the state administration.

The Karnataka government suspended Rao after a purported video showed him in a compromising position with a woman inside his official chamber. The video went viral on social media. Rao rejected the videos outright, terming them "fabricated and false".

Who is K Ramachandra Rao?

Rao is a DGP-rank officer who was heading the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement until his suspension. He was promoted to DGP in September 2023 and assumed office in October 2023, the Sunday Guardian reported.

He also served as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited.

His stint as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for the Southern Range was also marred by controversy. In 2014, during a cash seizure near Mysuru’s Yelwal, officials claimed the seized amount was ₹20 lakh, while the accused (Kerala-based merchants) claimed it was around ₹2.27 crore.

Rao, who was present during the seizure, denied all allegations. However, he was transferred soon after.

Allegations of collusion with a businessman surfaced, and a senior police officer was quoted by The Sunday Guardian as saying, “In Rao’s case, the CID has clearly mentioned that there was a great degree of lapse on the part of Rao and a deputy superintendent of police after it was brought to their notice that a few policemen, including a gunman attached to the IGP, were involved in the robbery.”

Rao had denied all wrongdoing in that incident. Despite past controversies, he rose to the state’s top police position, the Sunday Guardian reported.

Ranya Rao’s stepfather

Rao is the stepfather of Kannada actress Harshavardhini Ranya alias Ranya Rao, accused of orchestrating the illegal import of gold worth over ₹12.56 crore from Dubai to India along with two others — businessman Tarun Raju, and jewellery dealer Sahil Jain.

‘Obscene video’ controversy

A viral video showed Rao behaving inappropriately with a woman inside his office while in uniform.

The Karnataka government said in its Monday order that “vide videos and news reports widely broadcast on public news channels and media platforms, it is observed that Dr K Ramachandra Rao has acted in an obscene manner which is unbecoming of a Government Servant and also causing embarrassment to the Government.”

The order said the matter was examined by the state government, which found that the officer's conduct amounted to a violation of Rule 3 of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968.

The government said it is prima facie satisfied that "it is necessary to place Rao under suspension with immediate effect, pending inquiry".

During the suspension period, Rao will be entitled to subsistence allowance as per Rule 4 of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969.

The order also places restrictions on his movement, stating that during the period of suspension, the officer must not leave headquarters under any circumstances without the written permission of the state government.

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