As senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor was accused of politicising the hijab controversy in Karnataka education institutions, the MP said there is no law prohibiting religious forms of dress in India. "...there is no law banning religious forms of dress like a Sikh turban or a crucifix around your neck or a tilak on the forehead, all of which are forbidden in France's govt schools but permitted in India's," Tharoor said responding to Mohandas Pai, former director of Infosys. Pai who now serves as the chairman of Manipal University said all schools have a uniform code to create unity. If people want to wear something, they must petition.
Pai's comment came as a reaction to Shashi Tharoor's question whether Sikh turban, Christian crucifix, Hindu tilak are also not allowed in educational institutes. "It's been a strength of India that everyone is free to wear what they want. If the hijab is disallowed, what about the Sikh turban? The Hindu's forehead mark? The Christian's crucifix? This college is going down a slippery slope. Let the girls in. Let them study. Let THEM decide," Tharoor tweeted earlier.
The hijab issue in Karnataka snowballed into a bigger row with many colleges denying entry of students wearing hijab on Thursday, state's home minister Araga Jnanendra said no religious robe-- be it a hijab or a saffron shawl -- will be permitted. "Schools are the place where children belonging to all religions should learn together and imbibe a feeling that we are not different, and all are children of Bharat Mata," Jnanendra said.
The controversy spurred when some students at a government pre-university college at Udupi showed up wearing hijab. After that, the students of Kundapur PU College also wore a hijab to the college and were stopped at the gate. On Wednesday, around 100 Hindu students came to college sporting saffron shawls as a protest against the girls wearing hijabs.
"There are religious organisations who think otherwise, I have asked police to keep a watch on them. Those who cause hindrance or undermine this country's unity, they have to be dealt with," the home minister said.
The diktat has received backlash from political leaders with former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti saying that Beti bachao beti padhao is just a hollow slogan. "Muslim girls are being denied the right to education simply because of their attire. Legitimising the marginalisation of Muslims is one more step towards converting Gandhi's India into Godse's India," Mufti said.
"Individuals are free to choose what to wear. You may or may not like their choice but that's a right we all have. If these public representatives can wear saffron robes, then these girls can use hijab. Muslims are not second class citizens," another former CM of the state , Omar Abdullah wrote on Twitter.
