Eatery of hijab petitioner’s dad vandalised in Udupi district

The vandals smashed windowpanes of the restaurant before being dispersed by police who registered a case for unlawful assembly and assault

Students who were protesting for their right to wear the hijab at the Government Pre-University College in Udupi had alleged that their personal information, including mobile numbers and home addresses, were leaked on social media.: File photo

K.M. Rakesh   |  TT  |  Bangalore   |    23.02.22 :  A group in Karnataka vandalised a restaurant owned by the father of a girl who had moved court to seek her right to wear the hijab, widening the sweep of the polarising controversy and triggering a charge that the attackers used leaked personal information to pinpoint the establishment.

The attack took place at 9.30pm on Monday at Malpe in Udupi district, which has become the epicentre of the hijab controversy.

Around 50 men threw stones at Bismillah Hotel and Caterers owned by Hyder Ali, father of Hazra Shifa whose petition is among those being heard by a full bench of Karnataka High Court.

The attackers got into an argument with Shifa’s elder brother Saif, 20, and assaulted him. He has been hospitalised with minor injuries.

The vandals smashed windowpanes of the restaurant before being dispersed by police who registered a case for unlawful assembly and assault but are yet to identify the perpetrators.

A vanload of policemen was soon deployed outside the restaurant as a precautionary measure.

Around Monday midnight, Shifa posted a tweet blaming Sangh parivar activists. “My brother was brutally attacked by a mob. Just because I continue to stand for My #Hijab which is MY RIGHT. Our property were ruined as well. Why?? Can’t I demand my right? Who will be their next victim? I demand action to be taken against the Sangh Parivar goons.”

My brother was brutally attacked by a mob. Just because I continue to stand for My #Hijab which is MY RIGHT. Our property were ruined as well. Why?? Can't I demand my right? Who will be their next victim? I demand action to be taken against the Sangh Parivar goons. @UdupiPolice

— Hazra Shifa (@hazra_shifa) February 21, 2022

A.H. Almas, Shifa’s college mate and another petitioner in the case, tweeted in her support. She blamed college authorities, who had allegedly leaked personal information of the girls, for the incident.

“Since the college leaked our private details, we got abusive calls from unknown numbers at the beginning and now they’re entering homes forcefully and harassing us. Trying all the ways to let us down. Stop this cheap work and be a gentleman. @DgpKarnataka must take action,” Almas tweeted on Tuesday.

Students who were protesting for their right to wear the hijab at the Government Pre-University College in Udupi had alleged that their personal information, including mobile numbers and home addresses, were leaked on social media. While it is not known who leaked their personal data, Almas blamed the college authorities.

The students have since switched off their mobile phones or barred incoming calls.

Aseel Akram, Udupi district president of the Campus Front of India, told reporters on Tuesday that a campaign was on against patronising Bismillah Hotel as it was owned by the petitioner’s father.

“There was already a campaign against patronising Bismillah Hotel when yesterday’s incident happened. Saif was earlier threatened by some people. The mob arrived and started thrashing Saif just as he was about to shut shop for the day,” Akram said.

The hearing of the batch of petitions filed by students seeking their right to wear the hijab in classrooms entered the eight day at Karnataka High Court on Tuesday. The bench of Chief Justice Rithu Raj Awasthi and Justices Krishna S. Dixit and J.M. Khazi has been hearing the petitions every afternoon.

While the petitioners’ counsel had argued for their constitutional right to wear the hijab, the state maintained that the headscarf was not part of essential religious practice of Islam and hence not protected under freedom of religion enshrined in Article 25 of the Constitution.