It’s skull caps versus saffron shawls in Karnataka

www.mangaloretoday.com

Bengaluru, June 12, 2022: Just when the hijab crisis seemed to be settling down in Karnataka, the state has become a battlefield for skull cap versus saffron shawls. A section of Hindu employees of the state-owned Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), who were objecting to the Muslim drivers and conductors wearing skull caps, are now attending duty donning saffron shawls.

Following the unrest in the state due to the hijab row, the Hindu employees objected to the wearing of skull caps by their Muslim colleagues, saying that it was in violation of the uniform rules set by the BMTC. However, Muslim employees who wear the skull caps during work hours have squarely refused to remove them. This has prompted the Hindu employees to don the saffron shawls in retaliation.

They have also formed an association in the name of “Kesari Karmikara Sangha” aimed at the implementation of strict uniform rules in BMTC and shunning of wearing the skull cap. Sources said that about 1,500 employees were registered under the association and they have decided to wear saffron shawls until the skull caps are banned during duty hours.