Graffiti surfaces saying Hijab is our dignity' in Karnataka's Hospet, erased by civic officials
Ballari, Mar 16: A day after the Karnataka High Court verdict dismissing hijab-related petitions, graffiti surfaced in a few government education institutions and public walls in Hospet, the district headquarters of Vijayanagara district, saying "Hijab is our Dignity" which was removed by civic officials.
The Hospet police registered four separate cases on Wednesday in three police stations in this connection.
According to the information received, "Hijab is our Dignity" was written on the walls of Vijayanagara College, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel School, district stadium and Guru Undergraduate College.
Based on a complaint by Vijayanagara College Principal Shankar Anand Singh, Chittawadgi police registered a case.
Sensing that the issue could trigger tension in the town, the municipal staff was called in and they erased the graffiti. Police suspect that spray paint was used for writing the slogan.
Investigation has been launched to find out the people behind the incident.
The Karnataka HC on Tuesday dismissed petitions filed by a section of Muslim students from the Government Pre-University Girls College in Udupi, seeking permission to wear hijab inside the classroom, saying the headscarf is not a part of the essential religious practice in Islamic faith.
The prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction, constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object to, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi said.
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Private bus operators in Karnataka to hike fares by 20-30 pc after fuel price rise
Bengaluru (PTI): In the wake of the hike in fuel prices, private bus operators have decided to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, effective from Friday midnight.
They have also called for government subsidies, a reduction in cess, and lower road taxes to improve the situation.
"The situation for bus owners in the state is already distressing due to high road tax and the impact of the Shakti scheme (free bus travel for women in government buses). On top of this, fuel prices have increased," Karnataka State Bus Owners’ Association President S Nataraj Sharma said.
"This will impose a burden of Rs 15,000 per vehicle per month on bus owners. If an owner has three buses, the burden will be Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000 per month," he added.
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Speaking to reporters, he said the situation has made it inevitable for owners to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, under current conditions.
The increase may be roughly Rs 200 per seat, he added.
"For example, the current bus fare from Bengaluru to Belagavi is around Rs 1,000–Rs 1,200, which is likely to rise to Rs 1,350–Rs 1,400. Similarly, fares from Bengaluru to Mangaluru or Udupi currently range from Rs 900–Rs 1,000 and are expected to go up to Rs 1,100–Rs 1,200," he said.
Petrol and diesel prices were each hiked by Rs 3 per litre on Friday, the first rate increase in more than four years, amid mounting losses for fuel retailers due to surging global crude prices in the wake of the West Asia conflict.
The increase comes a couple of weeks after the Assembly elections concluded in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry.
