‘Say Jai Shri Ram Instead of Yes Sir’: BJP MLA Janardhan Reddy Backs Controversial Call | News18

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:01]Now shifting our focus to some more breaking news coming in now from down south [music] Karnataka. In Karnataka, hijab row now Karnataka BJP MLA has now called student to respond with Jai Shri Ram instead of yes sir when teachers call their [music] names during attendance in the classroom. Supporting the proposal, BJP MLA accused Congress government of indulging in minority appeasement.

[00:00:48]My colleague Harish Upadhyay joins us on the broadcast. Harish, could such move escalate tensions in the already sensitive campus environment? Take us through the details.

[00:00:58]Absolutely, this has been registered as a protest. Remember a few years back when the hijab protest erupted, there was a counter protest by Hindu groups which had called students to wear a saffron shawl to the school.

[00:01:12]And we had seen several colleges and schools having trouble over that issue.

[00:01:16]And after which the issue died down, but now it's Karnataka government deciding to bring in new rules allowing hijab.

[00:01:24]It was initially a former BJP leader who is now expelled from his party, Basan Gouda Patil Yatnal, who suggested that as a mark of protest and just to ensure that they assert their identity, Hindu students should respond to the attendance call by saying Jai Shri Ram.

[00:01:40]Now you have Janardhan Reddy seconding that and saying that that's a good idea that should be done by students across the state.

[00:01:48]So far we haven't seen any instance of students doing that in any of the private or government colleges and schools, but definitely if this rule gets implemented thoroughly, then we will see a pushback and perhaps this could be one of the ways.

[00:02:04]Please also tell us what is the official response from the Karnataka government on this suggestion by BJP MLA?

[00:02:12]Well, so far the Karnataka government hasn't responded on this matter yet, but we had seen a protest in Shimoga as well over this today when the education minister was supposed to attend a particular local level meeting, but this issue is something that perhaps will crop up in the next few weeks as Karnataka gets up to implement this and once certain colleges reopen and then students start wearing hijab, there will be a pushback. This this is a scene that we had witnessed in coastal parts of Karnataka even in 2022. Perhaps a repeat of that is on cards unless the state government manages to handle the issue carefully.

[00:02:54]Thank you so much Harish for joining us on the broadcast and sharing all those details.