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Maharashtra

Mumbai College Sparks Outcry with Dress Code Ban On Religious Attire; Students Divided, Legal Battle Looms

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Mumbai: As Acharya Marathe College in Chembur continues to prohibit naqab, hijab, and burqa on the campus, the female Muslim students who wear this customary attire are chartering varied courses.

Following the Bombay High Court (HC) order upholding the college’s right to enforce a dress code, several students, including men, have left the college for other institutes. Among those still there, some have started taking off their coverings in the classrooms, while nine others who had moved HC against the restrictions are barred from classes.

About The Controversy

The college caused controversy in May after it introduced a ‘dress code’ for all undergraduates students, requiring them to only wear ‘formal’ and ‘decent’ clothes. Specifically forbidden are religious attire including hijab, naqab, burqa, stole, and cap. The diktat was challenged as “discriminatory and infringing on religious and personal freedoms”.

After a favourable order from the court on June 26, the college started evicting from classrooms not only those donning religious attire, but also those wearing torn and printed jeans and t-shirts. While the college refuses to relent, the petitioners are considering appealing before the Supreme Court. Even as they evaluate the implications, including the considerable cost, they make it a point to come to the college daily. They go to the college, get themselves pictured in front of the gate, and return home.

“We need to show that we intend to study here,” said one of them. However, a few others are choosing other colleges to avoid loss of education, without having to compromise on religion.

Students On The Hijab Row

Nisha Ansari, a second-year BSc student, said that she has applied for a leaving certificate. “I can’t bring myself to remove my naqab and burqa. Religion is important for me and I can’t lose my identity,” she said, adding, “I just hope to find a college that would allow me to wear them.” Inayatullah Shah, a third-year BCom student, also switched colleges after being asked to remove his skullcap.”

“I usually wear kurta, pajamas, and a cap. I tried explaining to college authorities that it’s a cultural dress, not a religious one. There’s a logical fallacy in what they are saying – there’s no correlation between clothes and academics. Education is all about hard and smart work, not about what you wear,” he said.

A considerable number of students have reluctantly fallen in line. A third-year science student, who earlier wore burqa, now attends without it. The staff wouldn’t even let her cover her head with a dupatta (shawl).

“I now just sit in a corner of the classroom and keep to myself,” she said.

Meanwhile, the college has softened towards other clothing items, as it now allows students to wear ‘plain’ jeans.

“The security lets us in if we have plain jeans on, but the printed ones are still not allowed,” said Samir Choudhary, a third-year BCom student.

Maharashtra

Lack of general civic amenities in Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, rehabilitation should be done after civic amenities are provided to the victims of Dharavi Rehabilitation Project: Abu Asim

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Abu Asim Azmi opposed the development of more waste management for waste disposal in Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, Mumbai, in the winter session of Nagpur and said that Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar is a slum area. There is already a dumping ground here. There is also a waste management company, which is causing a lot of problems to the citizens. Pollution has increased due to waste disposal. The air here is toxic. On the one hand, a dumping ground is being shifted from Malind and a golf course is being built, and on the other hand, the residents of the slums of Dharavi are being rehabilitated here. There is a lack of civic amenities in Govindi. Until schools, colleges, grounds and religious places, mosques, temples and other places of worship are built, no one should be rehabilitated here. Along with this, the dumping ground and other waste management companies should be removed from here. There is already a waste management company here. Now more such companies are destroying human life. It should be banned immediately, this demand was made by Azmi.

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Crime

Mumbai Professor Seeks Anticipatory Bail After Molestation Case, Claims Mental Illness And Attempt To Tarnish Image

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Mumbai: A guest professor, booked for molesting female students at the annual function of St. Xavier’s College in south Mumbai, has approached the sessions court for an anticipatory bail, claiming he is suffering from a mental ailment and the case had been lodged to ruin his image. The court has reserved the plea for order next week.

As per the FIR lodged with the Azad Maidan police station, the professor was invited at an event of National Hindi Parishad, held on November 24, wherein he allegedly sexually harassed nine students and one retired teacher. It is claimed that he exhibited obscenity during the festival.

While seeking protection from the arrest, the professor has claimed he is suffering from depression and other health issues, and has on several occasion attempted to commit suicide. He claimed he is currently admitted in the hospital due to his mental ailment. The professor claimed he is ready to appear before the officer through video conferencing after he is discharged from the hospital.

The plea was opposed by the prosecution on the ground that from the statements taken from the victim women, the accused appears to be of “a perverted nature”, and the possibility of him behaving indecently with other women cannot be ruled out. The police have also raised an apprehension of communal tension as the accused and the victims are of different religions.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: Accused wanted in Kurla Methi River irregularities arrested, accused of cheating crores of rupees and creating fake AMU

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Mumbai: Economic Wing AOW has claimed to have arrested the wanted accused and contractor in the case of Mithi Nadi cleanliness and irregularities. The AOW has arrested the absconding wanted Sunil Shyam Narayan SM Infrastructure, Mahesh Madhav Rao Purohit. During the investigation of the Mithi Nadi contract and irregularities worth crores of rupees, the police had registered a case. Earlier, three accused were arrested. According to the EOW, from 2013 to 2023, fake MAUs were prepared and bills worth crores of rupees were approved in collusion with BMC officers. A proposal to purchase a machine to remove garbage from 2021 to 2024 was also approved and under the guise of the same, a fraud of crores of rupees was committed for cleaning the garbage. In this case, the police have arrested the accused agents Ketan Kadam, Jay Joshi and Mithi Nadi contractor Sher Singh Rathore. By preparing fake documents, the accused also prepared fake AMUs and also signed fake signatures. The accused were produced in court and remanded in custody until December 16.

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