Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Friday announced the Congress-led government will soon withdraw the ban on hijab in the educational institutions of the state. The chief minister also asserted that a direction had already been given to the officials.
What all did CM Siddaramaiah say?
Addressing an event on Friday, the Karnataka chief minister said, “We will be withdrawing the ban on hijab, which was imposed by the previous BJP government. An official order will come soon regarding it.”
In his speech, Siddaramaih also mentioned that the sartorial choices are entirely personal.
“What to wear and what to eat is a personal choice. Why should the government obstruct such issues? Wear what you want and eat what you feel like. I wear Dhoti and you wear shirt with pants. What is wrong with that?” asked the chief minister.
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About the Hijab row
The hijab controversy in Karnataka first surfaced in January 2022 when six students of the Government Pre-University (PU) College in Udupi accused the institute’s administration of not allowing them to enter the premises while wearing the hijab.
This led to the demonstration of protest by the Muslim girls outside the institute after being denied entry.
Retaliating to this incident, several Hindu students also started attending classes wearing saffron shawls in several educational institutions.
On March 15 last year, the Karnataka High Court declared that wearing the hijab was not mandatory in Islam and upheld the executive order. The students moved the Supreme Court, which split a verdict on the issue. The matter is slated to be heard by a larger bench.
