Students Asked To Remove Sacred Thread At Karnataka CET Exam Hall, BJP MP Says 'Against Hinduism'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Shivamogga BJP MP BY Raghavendra criticised on Saturday the incident wherein some students were allegedly asked to remove their Janivaras (sacred thread worn by Brahmins) before entering the CET examination hall at centres in Bidar and Shivamogga districts of Karnataka

"This is wrong and a serious injustice. I strongly condemn this. Whether such an incident has happened intentionally or unintentionally," Raghavendra said.

He said the government must take action to ensure it does not happen again.

"Such incidents against Hinduism are happening again and again. Measures must be taken to prevent such incidents in the future. Whoever is responsible, the government must take action against them," Raghavendra said.

What happened exactly?

A Common Entrance Test (CET) was held this week to select students for the admission into professional courses.

Officials were quoted by PTI as saying that in Bidar, a student had to return home without writing the Maths paper on Thursday morning, after the screening committee at the examination centre in Sai Spoorthi college allegedly asked him to remove the janivara before entering the exam hall.

A police official said, "The boy apparently pleaded the staff [comprising police personnel part of the frisking team] to allow him into the hall since there was no scope of him indulging in any malpractice by wearing janivara,"

"However, he was not allowed by the staff alleging there was a possibility of him harming himself. He was asked to remove the scared thread and then enter the examination hall. But he refused to do so and left the centre without appearing for the Maths paper," the official added.

The CET aspirant was later allowed to appear for the Biology exam wearing the sacred thread in the (Thursday) afternoon, he said. "The same student had appeared for the Physics and Chemistry papers a day before wearing the sacred thread without any issue," officials added.

Meanwhile, in Shivamogga, police said three students were allegedly asked to remove their janivaras by the security staff at the Adichunchanagiri PU college exam centre on Wednesday.

As per the allegations, one of the students refused to remove the sacred thread and he was allowed to write the exam, while the other two removed janivara before entering the exam hall.

"We have not received any complaint from the parents yet. But as per inquiry, when we questioned the college authorities, they said that only the building is given for examination from their side and that they don't have any role in conducting or facilitating the entrance exams while the staff at the examination centre claimed that they did not ask any students to remove their shirts or the sacred thread. As per regulation, all they asked them was to remove the kashi dhara (scared thread worn around the wrist)," a senior police officer said.

What did the student say: 'I was asked to remove janivara'

The student who missed the exam in Bidar said on Saturday, "I was asked to remove the janivara and come, by the college management and three people who looked like police. They told me that I will be allowed to write the paper only after that."

"Only I was told to do it, others were allowed normally after checks," the student alleged.

"I told them that we, in the Brahmin community, are not allowed to remove janivara and I was allowed for Physics and Chemistry papers, why such a restriction for Maths paper. They said, proper checks were not done for other papers and they were doing it now. I requested for 45 minutes...," he reportedly said.

Show cause notice issued

Shilpa Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Bidar told PTI that as soon as the matter came to their notice, a show cause notice was issued to the chief examiner of the said centre and that an inquiry has been initiated into the matter.

She said that Superintendent of Police (SP) Bidar also assured that he would give show cause notice to the frisking team so that such incidents are not repeated.

Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister M C Sudhakar said that if such an incident has happened as alleged, it is condemnable, and such things cannot be accepted.

"I will get a detailed report, based on which it will be decided what action to be taken in accordance with law, against those responsible," he said.

Minister for School Education and in-charge of Shivamogga district Madhu Bangarappa also condemned the incident and said he will direct the officials concerned to take action against those responsible.

Taking to "X", BJP state president B Y Vijayendra asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to take action against the officials involved in this.

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