primary and secondary education minister bc nagesh who was instrumental in enforcing a ban on hijab for muslim students in state government schools and preuniversity colleges lost the election from tiptur in tumakuru districtcongress candidate k shadakshari defeated nagesh by 17652 votes nagesh had won from tiptur for the first time in 2008 but lost the 2013 polls the 64yearold is associated with rss and had close ties with the tumakuru unit of bjp for a long time before entering state politicsnagesh as education minister was the state governments face when it took a stance against muslim girl students wearing hijab inside classrooms he was also the main force behind the saffronization of textbooks following heavy criticism from the opposition kannada organisations and civil society he had to stand down from his stand on controversial textbook revisioninterestingly nagesh started off as an abvp activist and is reportedly close to bjp national general secretary bl santhosh the hijab row took a serious turn in december 2021 when six students from the government pu college in udupi were barred from wearing hijab to class the students petitioned the high court and supreme court later to exercise their constitutionally granted right to religious freedom