A war of words has broken out between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) after a video of women security guards checking students before entering a Telangana State Public Service Commission exam centre in Adilabad went viral on Wednesday. In the video, the guard is seen instructing a student to open and remove earrings, bangles and Mangalsutra before entering the examination hall.
Sharing the video, BJP leader Priti Gandhi alleged that "Hindu" women were asked to remove their Mangalsutra while "Burqa was allowed".
Taking to Twitter, Gandhi shared a split video of Hindu women removing their jewellery while Burqa-clad women were entering the examination centre.
"The state government conducted the TSPSC Group-1 exam on October 16 across the state. This happened yesterday at a Group-1 examination centre in Telangana. Burqa is allowed but earrings, bangles and payal must be removed. Height of appeasement. Shameful indeed," Gandhi wrote. The video was titled "Secularism in India".
Reacting to Gandhi's allegation and accusing her of "fake propaganda", TRS leader Krishan said that police guards were checking everyone equally and such allegations only mount to create communal disturbances in the state.
Sharing a video, where police are seen frisking a woman in Burqa, he said, "At one Centre where TSPSC Group 1 Exam was held Police checked all aspirants as per Govt of India competitive exam guidelines without any partiality . But BJP who wants to disturb the communal peace and harmony of Telangana have shared few selective videos only! (sic)."
The state government conducted the TSPSC Group-1 exam on October 16 across the state and the incident took place in Vidyarti Junior College in Adilabad.
According to a report by NDTV, the police admitted to a 'mistake' that happened while checking. The report quoted the Superintendent of Police saying, "Initially while allowing candidates it was the mistake of an MRO of not allowing Hindu women and asking them to remove their belongings. But later when our inspector reached the spot, Hindu women were allowed to enter the centre with Mangalsutra."
