Amid the turmoil across and beyond Karnataka that was triggered by recent events of bigotry by students who oppose the culture of wearing hijab, human rights advocate and women rights activist Malala Yousafzai has urged the leaders in India to intervene and put an end to the marginalization of Muslim women. In recent days, Karnataka has been on the headlines over the dreadful religious clash between the students with the state government shutting down the schools and colleges for three days. 

As the events had cast a major upset among educationalists and activists, Malala Yousafzai has reacted to the ongoing row and said that refusing the rights to wear hijab is horrifying. Taking to Twitter, "College is forcing us to choose between studies and the hijab.' Refusing to let girls go to school in their hijabs is horrifying. Objectification of women persists - for wearing less or more. Indian leaders must stop the marginalisation of Muslim women." 

Her statement has come amid protests and incidents of violence in Karnataka over the hijab ban in colleges. According to reports, after the alleged hoisting of a saffron flag in a college in Shivamogga, protests had erupted at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College in Udupi after a large group of students wearing saffron stoles and headgears raised slogans in the college campus as Muslim girls were protesting to demand justice. 

After realizing that the wave of violence is spreading among the students across the state, the Karnataka government has ordered to shut down all the high schools and colleges in the state for three days. The Karnataka High Court is hearing the matter on the batch of petitions challenging the Karnataka government order dated February 5, which had restricted wearing any cloth other than the school uniform.