JOIN USSome Congress legislators oppose HC verdict on hijab ban as top leaders do balancing act
Senior Congress lawmakers Tanveer Sait and C M Ibrahim said on Tuesday that the high court order against Hijab will be questioned before the Supreme Court.
They said this even as their senior colleagues — Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar — did not publicly oppose the court verdict, fuelling the view that the Hijab issue is a political hot potato.
“We have decided to file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court questioning the high court order. The order is, fundamentally, unacceptable,” Sait, a former primary and secondary education minister, told reporters.
Sait represents the Narsimharaja segment of Mysuru in the Legislative Assembly.
“Religious practice or protection of a religion is fundamental in the Constitution,” he pointed out, adding that it was wrong to have “dragged” students into this issue when the Constitutional position is clear.
"Instead of building the nation progressively, attempts are being made to divide children and disrupt unity,” Sait said, citing the laws against triple talaq, religious conversion and cow slaughter as examples. "All these seem to target a specific community.”
Ibrahim, an MLC, also said the high court order is unacceptable. "We are appealing against this order before the Supreme Court," he said.
"A uniform has a dupatta, which is worn over the shoulders. If the same dupatta is worn over the head, what's the problem," he asked.
Follow HC order: Siddaramaiah
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah said everyone must “bow down” to the high court order.
“The HC decision has come. I won’t comment on the decision itself. I still haven’t read the full order. But everyone should bow down to the order,” he said.
Asked if this is a setback to the Congress, Siddaramaiah said, “All we had said was that the Hijab won’t trouble anyone as it is being worn from the beginning. So, we had said that it should be allowed. The [students] said they’d wear both Hijab and uniform.”
Shivakumar stressed education and law and order. “The high court has given a judgement. But the responsibility for education, law and order and communal harmony is still with the government of Karnataka,” Shivakumar said in a tweet.
“I appeal to the Government of Karnataka to show mature leadership and ensure: 1) That law and order are maintained in and around schools and colleges. 2) That the education of students is not hampered, regardless of religion and gender. 3) That there is communal harmony,” he said.
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