Kozhikode: A major controversy has erupted in Kerala after a college in the State’s Malappuram district banned Burqa at its college premises. What makes this move a massive development, the decision has been taken in a Muslim majority region in Kerala.

The circular was passed by the Muslim Education Society (MES) in Kozhikode on Apr. 17 and it states that burqas in all schools and colleges under MES will be banned. The MES runs several colleges in Kerala.

“There is a Court order that says any dress with is against the changing society should not be permitted, which includes not just Burqa but other kinds of dress which they think is not proper,” the circular stated. The third paragraph in the circular clearly states that any dress that covers the face of the woman should be banned.

The debate on Burqa was ignited in India after Sri Lanka banned all type of ‘face coverings’ following a series of suicide attacks in which over 250 people were killed. Several organisations in Kerala have condemned the circular and said that it goes against religious tenets and sentiments of the community and that MES has to consult various organisations before taking such decisions.

The Shiv Sena triggered a massive row in a controversial editorial of its mouthpiece ‘Saamna’ where it demanded a Burqa ban in public places and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to follow Sri Lanka’s suit, which banned face veils after deadly bomb blasts ripped through the country on Easter Sunday.