Thane, Feb 9 (PTI) Amid the 'hijab' controversy in neighbouring Karnataka, hundreds of women on Wednesday held a demonstration in Mumbra township of Maharashtra's Thane district in support of the Islamic headscarf for female Muslim students.

Also Read | Mukesh Ambani Overtakes Gautam Adani To Become Asia’s Richest Person Again.

The protesters, who also included Hindu women, said 'hijab' was their "ornament".

Also Read | CBSE To Conduct Second-Term Board Exam for Classes 10, 12 in Offline Mode From April 26.

Protests for and against the 'hijab' intensified in different parts of Karnataka and turned violent in some places, after the government there issued an order last week making uniforms prescribed by it or management of private institutions mandatory for its students at schools and pre-university colleges across the state.

Muslim as well as Hindu women in Mumbra, a Muslim-dominated township in Thane, held the protest at Retibunder area, carrying placards and banners in favour of hijab and condemning the BJP government in Karnataka for its decision. The protesters shouted slogans of 'Allah-hu-Akbar' and 'Jai shri Ram'. The protest was led by social activist Ruta Awhad.

The women shouted slogans like 'Hijab is our ornament', 'Let Karnataka government come to its senses', 'Don't divide people', among others.

Awhad criticised the Karnataka government for enforcing the dress code.

"Muslim female students have been wearing hijab since the last so many years. However, Sri Ram Sene (a right-wing Hindu organisation in Karnataka) has objected not only to wearing of 'hijab', but also jeans, skirts and T-shirts. It is trying to create a divide in the country. The Constitution gives freedom to everyone to practise their religion..." she said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)