Everyone should follow uniform system inside govt campus, says Karnataka minister on hijab row

With the political sphere heating up over women being allegedly denied for wearing hijabs in educational institutions in the state, Karnataka Minister V Sunil Kumar asserted that everyone should follow a uniform system inside a government campus. 

"Our government stood with Muslim women by scrapping Triple Talaq. All those speaking on individual liberty, speak on restrictions on Muslim women in mosques. Everyone should follow a uniform system inside a government campus. That's my only intention," Kumar told ANI. 

This comment comes after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday slammed the Karnataka government on the controversy over the demand by Muslim students for wearing the hijab in classrooms stating that by not permitting them to do so, the country was robbing the future of its daughters. 

"By letting students' hijab come in the way of their education, we are robbing the future of the daughters of India. Ma Saraswati gives knowledge to all. She doesn't differentiate. #SaraswatiPuja," tweeted the Congress leader on the occasion of Saraswati Puja.

Also read: 'We are robbing future of daughters of India': Rahul on Karnataka Hijab row

On February 4, students wearing hijabs were allegedly denied entry into a government college in the Kundapur area of Udupi in Karnataka, amid a row on wearing the headscarf in classrooms. 

State Education Minister BC Nagesh had told reporters, "They were not wearing the hijab earlier and this 'problem' started only 20 days ago." 

In a similar incident in the state, students at a Chikkamagaluru college wore saffron shawls to mark their protest against girls wearing hijabs on campus. On Tuesday, many students also staged a dharna over the same. The cops then entered the college premises and brought the situation under control. 

In view of the development in the state, Leader of the Opposition in Karnataka Assembly and Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Friday alleged that the aim of this is to deprive Muslim girls of education. 

"This is the plan of depriving female students of education. The aim is to deprive female children of education," Siddaramaiah told the media persons in Bengaluru on Friday.