# Doda Medical College Students Protest Over Hijab Dispute, Heated Exchange with Police Officer at Hospital

> Protesting medical students in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda confronted police after accusing a professor of persistent harassment over wearing the hijab.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Jammu & Kashmir · **Published:** 2026-10-01 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/jammu-kashmir/doda-medical-college-men-hijab-vivada-para-bharaka-chhatraon-ka-gussa-aspatala-parisara-men-pulisa-adhikari-se-tikhi-bahasa-41476 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Doda, Jammu and Kashmir, Hijab Controversy, Medical College, Dr Madhu Chhib, Student Protest

Tensions flared at the Government Medical College Hospital in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir, on October 1 as female medical students gathered to stage a vocal demonstration over the right to wear a hijab. The protesting students assembled inside the hospital premises, raising slogans against a faculty member and demanding accountability for alleged mistreatment. The unfolding demonstration brought the students face to face with local law enforcement personnel, leading to an intense exchange that was widely captured and shared across social platforms.

## Allegations of Longstanding Harassment by Gynecology Professor
The demonstrating students directed serious allegations against Dr. Madhu Chhib, a professor in the gynecology department, claiming that she had been subjecting them to persistent harassment regarding their head coverings. According to the students, this intimidation over wearing the hijab had been continuing for several years, with repeated instructions issued warning them against keeping their heads covered. One protesting student stated that the doctor allegedly pulled at her hijab during an encounter and explicitly ordered her never to appear in front of her while wearing one again.

## Police Station Head Intervenes Against Sloganeering on Premises
As the agitation grew louder and students began chanting religious slogans inside the hospital halls, the local Station House Officer intervened directly to defuse the situation and maintain decorum. The police officer firmly admonished the crowd, stating that medical facilities exist to serve everyone and cannot be dominated by specific religious demonstrations. Emphasizing the nature of the facility, the officer reminded the gathering that the location is a public hospital rather than an Islamic institution, stressing that creating a disturbance in an active healthcare environment is inappropriate.

## Administrative Order Urged Amid Escalating Campus Tensions
Addressing the students directly, the officer asserted that administrative protections and legal recourse exist if anyone unfairly targets them for their attire, promising that genuine grievances could be heard separately. However, he warned that using the underlying grievance as justification to breach public order or disrupt hospital functioning would not be tolerated. He urged the students to respect the institutional boundaries of a hospital setting while pursuing their complaints through appropriate channels. The confrontation highlighted growing friction within the medical college, prompting calls for formal scrutiny into the events that triggered the hospital protest.

## What this means for you
The demonstration within the hospital complex directly impacts healthcare operations and the academic atmosphere.

- **Across India:** The incident adds renewed attention to ongoing national debates surrounding dress codes and religious attire in educational and medical institutions. It may prompt healthcare universities across other states to clarify their internal conduct policies.
- **In Jammu and Kashmir:** Patients and visiting families at the Doda facility faced sudden disruption due to the unexpected protests in the corridors. Local administrative authorities now face increased scrutiny regarding campus discipline and student grievances in the region.
- **For Medical Students:** Female students at the institution may encounter heightened scrutiny or revised clinical posting protocols while administrative reviews are underway. The unresolved complaint could impact everyday academic coordination between faculty and trainees.
- **For Hospital Administration:** The facility is likely to enforce tighter security protocols to prevent non-medical demonstrations from disrupting critical patient care areas. Clearer institutional mechanisms may be instituted to address internal faculty disputes privately.

## Why this happened
The confrontation erupted following an alleged physical altercation involving a gynecology professor and persistent student grievances regarding the hijab.

- **Immediate Trigger:** A female medical student alleged that a professor physically pulled her hijab and explicitly forbade her from appearing in class while wearing it. This incident prompted fellow students to gather inside the hospital corridors in immediate protest.
- **Underlying Resentment:** Demonstrators claimed that they had experienced repeated harassment regarding their head coverings over several years. The lack of resolution regarding faculty objections to the attire caused frustration to accumulate among the trainees.
- **Reason for the Escalation:** When students raised religious slogans within the medical facility, the local police officer intervened to protect public hospital operations and patient comfort. The resulting exchange over institutional decorum escalated the altercation and drew widespread public attention.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Why were students protesting at Doda Medical College?
The students were protesting alleged longstanding harassment over wearing the hijab and claimed a professor had pulled a student's head covering.

### 2. When and where did this incident occur?
The protest took place on October 1 at the Government Medical College Hospital in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir.

### 3. Which faculty member was named by the protesting students?
The students named Dr. Madhu Chhib, a professor in the gynecology department, as the person who repeatedly objected to their attire.

### 4. What objection did the police officer raise during the protest?
The Station House Officer told students that the premises is a public hospital serving everyone, not an Islamic institution, making religious slogans inappropriate there.

### 5. What assurance did the police officer give regarding the students' complaints?
The officer stated that he was available to assist if anyone unfairly obstructed them, but emphasized that hospital decorum must not be compromised.

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