Karnataka Hijab Row: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said it is women’s right to decide what to wear and harassment over wearing clothes must stop, amid a row over hijab in some colleges in Karnataka.
Priyanka Gandhi tweeted with the hashtag #ladkihoonladsaktihoon, “Whether it is bikini, veil, jeans or hijab, women have the right to decide what to wear.” Priyanka Gandhi said, “This right is guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. Stop the oppression of women.”
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 9, 2022
At the same time, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi has also supported this tweet of Priyanka Gandhi. The Congress MP replied to his sister’s tweet with a ‘thumbs-up’ emoji. “Girls, I can fight” is the slogan of the Congress’s battle for the seven-phase assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh beginning on February 10. The Congress has seen women’s rights and empowerment as one of the key issues ahead of the elections, with Priyanka Gandhi leading the charge.
Last week, Rahul Gandhi also tweeted in support of the right of students to wear hijab in classes. He had said that “By bringing hijab of students in the way of their education, we are snatching the future of the daughters of India. Maa Saraswati gives knowledge to all. She does not differentiate.”
Controversy over Hijab in Karnataka
In fact, some educational institutions in Karnataka have witnessed protests in favor and against ‘hijab’ in recent times. In the midst of this controversy, the state government has declared holidays in schools and colleges for the next three days in the state. The protest, which started in Karnataka due to the controversy over the hijab, spread across the state on Tuesday. Incidents of stone pelting in college campuses forced the police to use force, where a clash-like situation was witnessed.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka government and the High Court have appealed to maintain peace. The court is considering a plea by girl students for their right to wear hijab. Tension escalated at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College in Manipal in Udupi district on Tuesday when two groups of students wearing saffron shawls and hijab-clad girls raised slogans against each other.
In a video that has gone viral on social media, a group of boys are seen misbehaving with hijab-wearing girls in Mandya. However, support poured in in favor of these girls on social media. The girl, who insisted on continuing her protest demanding the right to wear the hijab, said she had the support of teachers and that the boys who stopped her in saffron shawls were outsiders.
Similar incident is also reported in Shivamogga district. Some people including students were detained there. On Tuesday, Section 144 of CrPC was imposed in Shivamogga city for two days. Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that I appeal to all students, teachers and colleges and people of Karnataka to maintain peace and harmony.
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