Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a Congress leader, said that it is a woman's right to choose what she wants to wear. The Indian Constitution guarantees the right, according to the Congress general secretary, who added that a woman can wear a bikini, a ghoonghat, a pair of jeans, or a hijab. The remarks come amid the ongoing hijab dispute in Karnataka, which has forced all educational institutions to close for three days. Priyanka linked the issue to the Congress's election slogan in Uttar Pradesh, ‘Ladki hoon lad sakti hoon,’ which advocates for women's empowerment.
What began as a peaceful protest in a few Karnataka colleges has escalated into a major controversy, with stone-pelting incidents reported in several locations across the state. The Muslim students' appeal for the right to wear the hijab in the classroom will be heard again by the high court.
Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, as well as Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor, has all expressed support for the protesting students.
Rahul remarked, “by letting students' hijab come in the way of their education, we are robbing the future of the daughters of India. Ma Saraswati gives knowledge to all. She doesn't differentiate”.
A video of a hijab-clad student being heckled by a group of boys has gone viral on social media amid the ongoing dispute. Malala Yousafzai, a women's rights activist, reacted to the video by saying it's "horrifying" that hijab-wearing girls are being forced to choose between studies and the hijab.
BJP's Amit Malviya said, "is the right to wear a hijab a Constitutional right? Religious freedom under Art 25 is subject to Constitutional morality and the State can legitimately restrict it on grounds of public order and morality. What if women in uniformed services start demanding right to wear hijab?"
Malviya further said, “the first word in Quran is Iqra, which means to read. But what we are seeing in Karnataka is anything but quest for knowledge. Young girls, in the name of faith, are being asked to choose hijab over education. The ghettoisation seen so far in minority institutions is spilling.”
