The controversy surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2022 dress code intensified after several girls came forward, claiming that they were “forced” to remove parts of their clothing before entering the examination hall.

After students said that they were forced by authorities to remove their bras before entering the NEET 2022 exam centre, more students are claiming that the security personnel forced them to remove their burkha and hijab at the medical exam centre gate.

A NEET examination centre in Maharashtra reportedly made female Muslim students take off their hijabs and burkhas at the gate of the institute, after which the parents of the students were left outraged by the rigorous dress code norms.

Meanwhile, the principal of the college in question said that the Muslim candidates who were asked to remove their burkha and hijab at a NEET centre could have taken prior permission to wear them.

The parent of only one girl made it an issue, claimed G S Kubde, principal of Matoshree Shantabai Gote College where the incident took place on Monday. Five Muslim girls were asked to remove their burkha and hijab before entering the examination hall, and after talking with the official they agreed to do so, he told PTI over the phone.

According to the principal, one of the girls who were asked to remove her burkha went outside to hand the garment to her father and “blew the issue out of proportion.”

“All five girls appeared for the exam. They could have approached the exam centre’s head for permission to wear burkha two hours before the test began,” he added, as per PTI reports.

On Monday, at least two Muslim girls approached the local police, alleging that staff at the Gote college made objectionable remarks like threatening to cut the burkha if they didn’t remove it.

A controversy regarding the NEET 2022 dress code broke out when several girls in Kerala were made to remove their bras before entering the examination centre, and alleged that they were made to sit for the 3-hour long exam without their innerwear since it had a “metal clasp.”

(With PTI inputs)

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