Pondicherry University:Muslim girl student says denied entry to convocation till Prez left

A Muslim girl from the 189 gold medallists from Pondicherry University was allegedly asked to sit out of her convocation function for 'wearing a hijab.' Rabeeha Abdurehim was selected as one of the 10 gold medalists to receive the awards directly from President Ram Nath Kovind ,however, she claims that she was pulled out of her ceremony last minute for wearing the hijab 'differently.'  

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Rabeeha Abdurehim had topped her class in postgraduate Mass Communication and was called to the Jawaharlal Nehru auditorium to receive her award from the President. She claims that she was seated inside the auditorium with other students when she was singled out by a woman Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) who pulled her out of the line of students and asked her to come outside with her.

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Rabeeha alleged that the Superintendent of Police said that she wanted to speak to her in private. The girl who had also participated in the human chain protest against CAA and the NRC at the Pondicherry University last week alleged that the SSP asked her why she was wearing her scarf differently to which she said that this was usually the way she wore it.

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Rejects award, extends support to anti-CAA protests

Rabeeha was asked to sit outside the auditorium till President Kovind's segment of the convocation was over. She also clarified that no one had asked her to remove her hijab but she was questioned on it. After she was called back in to receive her award by the other dignitaries present, Rabeeha went on stage and rejected the award.

The reason she rejected the award was on account of being blindsided by the police personnel. She also brought in the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) stating that her rejection of this award is a message of solidarity to what the students are facing across the country today while protesting against the CAA. 

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