Several college girls belonging to the Muslim community have reportedly complained to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Isha Priya on Monday that they were being harassed by local miscreants for ‘not wearing a burqa’ in Khurja of Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh.

The SDM along with the Station House Officer reached the Sarai Murtaza colony and warned those who were intimidating the girls. The SDM also held a meeting with the locals and encouraged them to continue sending their girls to college. The religious heads of the community had assured the police and the SDM that instances of harassment would not be repeated in the locality.

Bulandshahr SDM Isha Priya: SHO & I came here&talked to people. Everyone opined that girls should be sent to school/college. They’ve taken the responsibility that if a miscreant molests a girl & stops them from going schools/college then they’ll hand them over to police. (16.02) — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 18, 2020

The SDM said, “To begin with, we have just issued a warning to the accused, but, if they do not mend their ways, we will file a case and arrest them.” She added that when the girls’ families do not have a problem in sending them to college without a Burqa, then how can the miscreants force them to do otherwise?