Srinagar, Apr 25: Authorities at Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Nawa Kadal on Wednesday said they have not stopped students from using facial veil or ‘Abhaya’.
Refuting a news item published by a local daily claiming that the school authorities have asked students “not to veil faces”, school principal said the allegation is without any basis.
“A report has appeared in a local newspaper today (April 25) that as per some anonymous student the institution has imposed a ban on wearing the veils during the school hours. The news item is totally baseless, concocted and fake,” principal said in a statement.
She said on Monday (April 23) morning, while the school authorities and class representatives (female students) were checking the identity cards of the students, some students were found without identity cards and still others without the prescribed uniform beneath their Abhayas.
“Female teachers of the school insisted on their identification and later on the issue was resolved by noting down their names and roll numbers, and the school functioned normally,” the statement said.
The principal also said that she received a call from some newspaper office asking if the school has issued a ban on wearing of veils, and that a protest was going outside the school.
The principal said she clarified that there was no protest inside or outside the school and there was no ban on the use of veils. She said anybody is welcome in the school to testify it from the students.
“Hence it is clarified for all concerned that the school has issued no instructions regarding the use of veil in the school and the students wearing veils or Abhaya are normally attending the school,” the statement said.
