India, April 19 -- A controversy has erupted in Karnataka after some students appearing for the Common Entrance Test (CET) were asked to remove their sacred threads (Janivara) at an exam centre in Shivamogga.

The incident has drawn reactions from leaders across the political spectrum, with both the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP calling for accountability.

Congrses leader and Karnataka's Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dinesh Gundu Rao, condemned the incident, terming it "overzealous behavior" by the examination authorities. "The government has not issued any guideline mandating the removal of sacred threads," Rao clarified, adding that both KEA (Karnataka Examinations Authority) officials and Higher Education Minister D...