BJP hits back at Congress over hijab row, minister says 'won't let Karnataka turn into Taliban'

Education minister Nagesh said that it was the then Siddaramaiah-led Congress that introduced a rule to enforce uniforms

Karnataka Primary & Secondary Education Minister BC Nagesh, and Kannada & Culture Minister V Sunil Kumar hit back at the Congress over the hijab row. While Nagesh treaded the bureaucratic line by citing a 2018 circular, Kumar said that the BJP won't let Udupi or Mangaluru become "another Taliban."

Nagesh said that it was the then Siddaramaiah-led Congress that introduced a rule allowing institutions to enforce a uniform, slamming the former chief minister for “misguiding” people.

“It was in 2018, when Siddaramaiah was the CM, that a rule was introduced stating that institutions can prescribe a uniform. It was not the BJP government that introduced uniforms. There should be a limit to playing politics,” Nagesh told reporters. “I feel bad for Siddaramaiah, a senior leader and lawyer by training, for misguiding people for the sake of votes.”

Nagesh further said that in Kundapura, a decision was taken by the school development and monitoring committee (SDMC) that a uniform is needed to inculcate a sense of brotherhood. “This was in 1985. Who was the MLA then?” Nagesh said.

Also Read — Another Karnataka govt college bars hijab-clad girls

Kumar said one cannot wear what one likes to school. “Clearly, the opinion among people is that there has to be a uniform. Wearing religious clothes cannot be tolerated. We won't allow Karnataka, Udupi or the Mangaluru district to become Taliban.”

Kumar also sensed foul play over students approaching the high court on the hijab row. “A section of students enrolled in a government college because they can’t pay fees has moved court. Who is behind this? Some groups are trying to make campuses religious. Uniform is a matter of code of conduct,” he said.

Training his guns on Congress leader Siddaramaiah, Kumar accused the former chief minister of starting the trend of pitting one caste against another. “With schemes like Pravasa Bhagya and Shaadi Bhagya, he tried to inject poison in society.”

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