Tamil Nadu urban local body polls: Row over hijab disrupts voting at polling booth in Madurai

The hijab issue had its resonance in the urban local body elections in Tamil Nadu on Saturday when a polling agent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) objected to women voting with their faces covered at a booth in Melur municipality in Madurai district.

Girirajan, the BJP agent, was later arrested by police which booked him under various sections of the IPC, including obstructing government servants from performing their duties.

Polling officers and polling agents of all other parties, including ruling DMK and principal Opposition AIADMK, did not agree with the objection raised by Girirajan, the BJP agent, following which voting at the booth was disrupted for 30 minutes. He raised the issue when a woman wearing a hijab was inside the booth.

Following the intervention of the police, Girirajan was sent out of the polling station and another BJP functionary replaced him as the party’s polling agent for the booth. Later, Girirajan was detained by police and was being interrogated.

State Election Commissioner (SEC) V Palanikumar took objection to the incident, saying India was a democratic country and every citizen has the right to wear what they wish. He also said an inquiry has been ordered into the incident. A video of Girirajan, holding the voters' list in his hand, shouting at the officers for allowing women to vote with their hijab. “How do we know their face? Can you match the picture on the voters' list with that of the people (women) who come to vote?” Girirajan is heard asking.

The video also shows officers and polling agents objecting to Girirajan’s action. “We have verified and cross-checked. That is enough. We have allowed her to vote. There is no need for you to check,” one of the officers said. As the BJP functionary showed no signs of relenting and officers threatened to leave the hall, police intervened and asked Girirajan to leave the booth following which voting resumed.

The incident took place at a polling booth in ward no. 8 of the Melur municipality in Madurai when scores of Muslim women wearing hijabs were waiting outside the booth to cast their vote. The incident comes close on the heels of a major controversy in Karnataka over schools and educational institutions asking girls to remove their hijab.

DMK MP Kanimozhi and MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin condemned the action of the BJP agent, saying such people have no place in Tamil Nadu.

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