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Jaipur: In a shocking and shameful act, a Muslim woman student was first told by the Rajasthan police to remove her hijab and later also her dupatta as pre-condition to appear for the Rajasthan Administrative Services (RAS) exam conducted by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) Saturday October 31.
Sadaf Naseem, the Muslim student, while narrating the incident to ummid.com on phone looked agitated, as the incident, she said, has left her mentally tortured and totally disturbed.
A resident of Bijnaur, Uttar Pradesh who is currently residing in New Delhi, Sadaf is now considering legal action against the Rajasthan police and examination administration for, what she called, their indecent act.
"I am seeking legal advice from my lawyers. I would be soon filing a case with the police and also writing to the National Commission for Minorities and National Women's Commission against the indecent and outrageous behavior of the Rajasthan police", Sadaf Naseem, a post-graduate in Political Science, said.
Sadaf had cracked the last written exam, but could not appear for the finals as it clashed with her regular exam in Delhi.
Recalling the incident, Sadaf said she agreed to remove her hijab, but it was embarrassing and humiliating for her when the poilce also demanded to remove her dupatta.
"As soon as I reached the exam centre, I was told by the police to remove my Hijab. I hesitated. But realising that an argument with the police would waste time, I obliged and proceeded to my seat", she added.
"But, a little after I assumed to my seat, a woman police personnel came and asked me to remove my dupatta. When I objected, some male police officers came and forced me to remove the dupatta", she alleged.
"It was insulting and humiliating, totally against my constitutional rights as woman, and also as a person belonging to a minority community", she said.
The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) conducted the the Rajasthan Administrative Services (RAS) exam on Saturday October 31, 2015 after the exam held on October 26, 2013 was cancelled after a Special Operation Group (SOG) busted a gang involved in leaking question papers of the said exam.
Elaborate security arrangements were put in place by the Rajasthan police for the examination, and candidates were allowed to enter the centre only after proper checking.
"In order to control cheating during the exam, they should use technology or some other means. But, they do not have any right to play with my dignity in the name of security", she said.
Sadaf said the attitude of the police towards some male candidates was equally bad, and some of them were asked to remove their shirts.
"They were literally treating us like criminals. What expectation can we have from the students who would later work as civil servants but are accorded such a treatment during the exams", she said.
Interestingly, an advisory issued by the commission before the exam said women candidates should wear a salwar suit or saree, and the boys appearing in the competitive examination would only be allowed to appear in half sleeve shirts and slippers (chappals) or sandals without socks.