Bengaluru: The controversy over students allegedly being forced to remove their sacred thread (janeu) at a Common Entrance Test (CET) examination centre in Bengaluru has intensified, with a police complaint now filed and the Bharatiya Janata Party demanding immediate arrests of those responsible.
Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka and Bharatiya Janata Party National Yuva Morcha President and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya accompanied the victim and his parents to the office of Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, where they submitted the complaint.
Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka has called for the arrest of three officials allegedly involved in the incident, terming it an attack on Hindu traditions.
He criticised the state government, accusing it of being insensitive to religious practices and failing to act promptly.
Ashoka said students were distressed by the incident and alleged that police had delayed registering a case. He claimed that, despite waiting for hours at the Koramangala police station, there was no response from the authorities initially.
He demanded immediate action, warning that such incidents could recur if strict measures are not taken.
The complaint has been filed by Raghu Bhima Rao, a resident of Balaji Layout in Bengaluru, at the Madiwala police station. The complaint alleges violations of religious rights and harassment of students during the Karnataka Common Entrance Test 2026.
A student, identified as Anirudh R. Rao, who appeared for the exam, recounted his experience. He said he reached the centre around 9.40 a.m. and was asked to remove his sacred thread before being allowed to enter the examination hall.
“They told me that if I did not remove it, I would not be allowed to write the exam. I called my father, and even he was unsure what to do,” he said, adding that other students were also being asked to remove it, leaving him with no option but to comply.
According to the student, around seven candidates were wearing the sacred thread, and several of them removed it under similar circumstances. He added that the incident left him disturbed and affected his performance in the Physics examination.
“After the exam, I informed my mother, who came to the centre and questioned the authorities. This is a religious matter, and we cannot remove it. It is like a part of our body,” he said.
The incident reportedly took place around 10 a.m. on Thursday during the Physics paper of the CET. Students said the exam format required them to answer 60 questions in 60 minutes, adding to the stress caused by the situation.
The row has triggered a political debate in the state, with opposition leaders accusing the government of targeting religious practices, while authorities are yet to provide a detailed explanation.
As the controversy over students being asked to remove their sacred thread (janeu) at a Common Entrance Test (CET) examination centre intensified, three staff members of Krupanidhi College in Madiwala, Bengaluru, have been suspended at the direction of the Karnataka Congress government.
(IANS)
