Govt only contemplating lifting ban on Hijab, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

On Saturday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah clarified that the government is currently considering the possibility of lifting the ban on wearing hijab in educational institutions within the state. A final decision will be made after thorough discussions at the government level.

Addressing reporters here, he said, We haven’t done it (revoking Hijab ban) yet. Someone asked me a question (on lifting Hijab ban). I replied that the government is considering revoking it. Asked whether it will be done in this academic year, the CM said it will be done after discussing at the government level.

The clarification follows a statement made a day earlier when Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah mentioned that there were no restrictions on wearing the religious head scarf in educational institutions, emphasizing that the choice of dress and food is a personal matter. The Congress government has faced strong criticism from the opposition BJP regarding the announcement concerning the hijab.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, BJP Karnataka chief B Y Vijayendra accused Siddaramaiah of vitiating the academic atmosphere. Charging the Congress with indulging in ‘appeasement politics’ ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Vijayendra claimed, even after so many years of independence, the literacy and employment rate among minorities is still 50 per cent. Congress never tried to elevate the condition of minorities. Congress believes in the divide and rule policy which the British rulers had adopted. It amounts to carrying forward the British legacy, he said.