Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane has written a letter to the state’s Education Minister, Dada Bhuse, urging the government to impose a ban on the wearing of burqas during the 10th and 12th grade state board exams. In his letter, Rane expressed concerns that the full-body covering could facilitate cheating and the smuggling of unauthorized materials into examination halls. Rane's appeal comes amidst growing discussions about security measures in academic institutions, with some pointing to the burqa as a potential loophole that could compromise the integrity of exams. He suggested that banning the burqa during state board examinations would ensure a fairer and more transparent testing environment.
The proposal is likely to spark some debate within the opposition ranks.As of now, the Education Ministry has not yet responded to Rane's request, but the issue is expected to fuel further discussions in the coming days. Rane is no stranger to controversy. Last month he had sparked a huge debate after calling Kerala a "mini Pakistan" during his attempts to target Congress's Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, elected to Lok Sabha from Wayanad. Called out by the Opposition, he clarified that while Kerala is part of India, he compared it to Pakistan because of the incidents of "love jihad" and religious conversions that occur in the state.
"Kerala is mini Pakistan that is why Rahul Gandhi and his sister are elected from there. All terrorists vote for them. This is the truth, you can ask. They have become MPs after taking terrorists with them," Mr Rane was quoted as saying earlier by news agency ANI. The Opposition leaders lost no time in condemning his remarks.