Janivara row hits Rlys, but dept course corrects

FOLLOWING a backlash over the ban on mangalsutra, bangles and other religious symbols inside the examination hall for exams conducted by the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB), the railway ministry on Monday clarified that candidates wearing such items will not face any trouble during the examination.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru/Mangaluru

The ban on religious symbols during the railway exam had caused a huge embarrassment to BJP in Karnataka as it came days after its cadres staged intense protests against some candidates wearing janivara (sacred thread) not allowed to write the Common Entrance Test.

On Sunday, VHP slammed RRB for this rule, stating that it hurt the sentiments of crores of Hindus. Stating that such 'anti-Hindu' stance cannot be accepted in a Hindu-majority nation, VHP leader Sharan Pumpwell appealed to the authorities to allow candidates to write the exams with their religious symbols on.