Dress code controversy in St. Agnes College
It’s not fair to oppose norms now: Principal
Mangaluru, June 29: St. Agnes College principal Dr M Jeswina said that the students and parents who accepted the norms of the college including the dress code during admission, were opposing them in collusion with the PFI organization which is unfair.
Speaking to reporters here on Friday, she said that there was a dress code in the college for many years and it was not decided this year. Every year, the college management would publish the handbook detailing all the norms including dress code to inform the students and the parents. During the admission time, every parent and student would take admission accepting those norms. But now, some girl students were protesting in collusion with the PFI organization, she said.
As per the norms, all students should follow the college dress code and there was no provision to wear other dress. No girl students should wear scarf and cover their face. The students should not wear any other dress other than uniforms. It was clearly mentioned in the handbook and it the duty of the students to follow it, she said.
The institution would respect every student who opted this institution for the education. The institution would like to have a cordial relationship with the staff, students, parents, alumni and the society. At no point of time, the college staff misbehaved with the girl students and no girl student is suspended from the college after this incident. The students who staged protest in front of the college gate on June 25 and Third B Com student Fathima Anis who spoke before the media, were attending the classes in uniforms. The college has asked the students, who protested, to give written clarification before their parents within three days. Being the principal, neither she nor other teachers had taken signatures on the blank paper from the students, she clarified.
As per the norms, the students should not wear scarf inside the classroom. But they were free to wear scarf or burka on the college campus. But in some social media, it was being wrongly interpreted. There was no truth in it. As informed by someone, the college does not have 80 per cent Muslim girls. Instead, there were 28 per cent Muslim students in the college and around 100 students were given Rs 2 lakh concession, she said.
Any student could get admission into the college by accepting the college norms. Those who are ready to accept the norms laid down by the college could join any other college and they do not have any objection. In the last protest, some girls from the outside also participated along with the college students. So, she would discuss with the college management on giving complaint against the PFI which tried to tarnish the image of the college, she said.
College secretary Dr Maria Roopa, vice principal Dr Vanessa, registrar Charles Stany Pais, discipline committee convener Dr Devi Prabha Alva, and others were present.
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Ex-PM Devegowda warns opposition of electoral losses if they continue to allege 'vote chori'
New Delhi (PTI): Former Prime Minister H D Devegowda on Monday said the Opposition parties would "suffer" if they continue to raise allegations of "vote chori" and create suspicion in the minds of voters by blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.
Participating in a discussion on election reforms in the Rajya Sabha, he criticised the Opposition for making a mockery about the Prime Minister "in the streets and on the public platform".
"This (India) is a very big country. A large country. Congress may be in three states. Remember my friends please, by using the words 'vote chori' you are going to suffer in the coming days. You are not going to win the battle," Devegowda said, referring to the Opposition members.
He asked what the Opposition is going to earn by "blaming Narendra Modi's leadership and creating a suspicion in the mind of the voters" through the claims of "vote chori".
"What has happened to their minds? Let them rectify," Devegowda said.
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The former prime minister said that during his over seven decades of public life, he has never raised such issues of vote theft despite facing defeat in elections.
He also cited a letter written by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru regarding inclusion of "18,000 votes" (voters) in Kerala.
"Why I am telling this (because) during the Nehru period also, there were certain lapses in the electoral system," said Devegowda, who was the prime minister between June 1, 1996 and April 21, 1997.
He said that the Congress party faced defeat in the recent Bihar elections despite raising the issues of mistakes in the electoral rolls.
"What happened after that even after so much review (of voters list). Think (for) yourself! You got six MLAs," the senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader said.
Devegowda questioned the Opposition as to why they want to make allegations against the prime minister on the issue of the voters list?
"Election Commission is there. Supreme Court is there. The Election Commission has given direction to all the state units to rectify all these things," he said.
Devegowda said people of the country have full confidence in Narendra Modi's government and it will come back to power after the next Lok Sabha elections as well.
K R Suresh Reddy, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party's Rajya Sabha member from Telangana, said that electoral reforms are the backbone for a healthy democracy.
He said a large and diverse nation like Indi needs clean electoral rolls.
Asserting that strict re-verification should not become a mechanism for exclusion, Reddy said no eligible voter should lose their right to vote simply because accessing paperwork is difficult.
He said while the concern definitely is on the voters' exclusion, "we should also be equally concerned about the percentage of voting."
"What is happening in voting today? Once the election ends, the drama begins. The biggest challenge that the Indian democracy has been facing in spite of two major Constitutional amendments has been the anti-defection. Anti-defection is the name of the game today, especially in smaller states, especially where the legislatures are small in number," Reddy said.
The senior BRS leader suggested creation of a parliamentary committee "which would constantly look into the defection" and "ways and means to cutting that".
AIADMK's M Thambidurai raised the issues related to election campaigning.
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"Election campaigns are one of the important election processes. In that, political parties must be given the proper chance to campaign," he said and cited problems faced by his party in Tamil Nadu in this regard.
Thambidurai said political parties were facing hardships in Tamil Nadu to conduct public meetings and to express their views to the public.
YSRCP's Yerram Venkata Subba Reddy stressed on bringing electoral reforms at both the state and national levels.
He also suggested replacing Electronic Voting Machines with paper ballots in all future elections.
"EVM may be efficient but can't be trusted. Paper ballot may not be efficient but can be trusted. You need trust in democracy," Reddy added.
