Amid the ongoing Hijab row, the Karnataka Minority Welfare Department on Thursday issued a circular to ban students from wearing saffron shawls, scarfs, hijab, religious flags inside classrooms until further orders at educational institutions that come under the ambit of the department. The circular quoted the operative part of the Karnataka high court`s interim order that asked the state government to reopen educational institutions in the state and allow the students to return to the classes at the earliest.

"We request the state government and all other stakeholders to reopen the educational institutions and allow the students to return to the classes at the earliest. Pending consideration of all these petitions, we restrain all the students regardless of their religion or faith from wearing saffron shawls (Bhagwa), scarfs, hijab, religious flags or the like within the classroom, until further orders. We make it clear that this order is confined to such of the institutions wherein the college Development Committees have prescribed the student dress code/uniform".