Controversy over the wearing of hijab escalated in Karnataka yesterday with students protesting outside colleges in the state. Slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ were chanted by the students outside college campus in Udupi, while incidents of stone-pelting were reported in Shivamogga. This prompted the state government to shut down schools and colleges for the next three days. The communal protest spread across the state, spilling over to other states as well.