Hijab row in Bihar: 'checking for Bluetooth earphones' says principal; student claims harassment in exam

After Karnataka, the hijab debate seems to have spread to educational institutes in Bihar. A controversy erupted at the Mahant Darshan Das Mahila, or MDDM, college in Muzaffarpur on 16 October 2022.

During an examination, a student was asked to take off her hijab by a teacher. Subsequently, the student accused the teacher of calling her "anti-national", and asking her to go to Pakistan.

Reacting to the controversy, the college principal said that the issue was not hijab, but the teacher's apprehension that the student might be hiding Bluetooth earphones.

The principal said that the student in question had also been carrying a mobile phone which was against the rules. The principal also accused the student of calling "anti-social elements" who created ruckus at the institute.

Police said that both sides had been "counselled" and exams were conducted peacefully. Police also said that lodging of a case or deployment of additional forces in the area was not "warranted", but the situation will be monitored.

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