BJP Slams Removal Of Black Shawls From Female Students, Police Cite Security Concerns – News18

Last Updated:January 06, 2025, 13:01 IST

The BJP has criticised the removal of black shawls from students at the conference, while the police have clarified that the action was necessary for security reasons.

After facing criticism on Sunday for not allowing female students wearing black shawls at the international conference on the Indus Valley Civilisation centenary held in Egmore, the Chennai police clarified that the action was taken as part of extreme safety precautions and assured that it would not be repeated in the future.

“Security personnel took black dupattas from attendees at a government event in Egmore as a precaution to ensure safety. During security checks, authorised individuals were inspected before being allowed into the event. In some cases, attendees wearing black dupattas were asked to give them up before entering,” said the Police.

The police clarified that this extra caution was due to the security personnel being overly cautious. They also mentioned that the security division has been given guidelines to avoid such incidents in the future.

Earlier, State BJP unit president K. Annamalai criticised the incident on X, saying, “At an event attended by TN CM MK Stalin, female students wearing ‘black shawls’ were instructed to remove them before entering the hall. Fear has spread, and they are left confused and hopeless. What kind of autocracy is this?”

The three-day event, organised by the Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology and inaugurated by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, featured the launch of a book titled “Indus Valley Scripts and Tamil Nadu Codes: A Geometric Study.” The seminar attracted active participation from college students and researchers.

However, a controversy arose when several students wearing black clothing or accessories, including black dupattas, were denied entry into the venue. Event organisers reportedly confiscated items like black dupattas, umbrellas, and notebooks before allowing students to enter. These items were returned to the students after the event.

The incident sparked widespread online criticism, with netizens questioning whether the removal of black attire was a precaution to prevent the display of black flags—traditionally used as a symbol of protest—against Chief Minister Stalin.

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