Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has declared the withdrawal of the hijab ban order introduced by the previous BJP government. Speaking at the inauguration of new police stations in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah stated that students are free to start wearing hijab to educational institutions. He emphasized individual choices, stating, “Wearing a dress or eating the food you like is your choice.”
The hijab ban, implemented in February 2022 by the BJP government, mandated the use of uniforms prescribed by school and college development and monitoring committees in government and aided educational institutions. It explicitly prohibited the wearing of any other head scarf or shawl as part of the uniform. Siddaramaiah’s announcement fulfills one of the Congress party’s poll promises ahead of the state elections.
On X he said, “PM @narendramodi’s sab ka saath-sabka vikas is bogus. @BJP4India is doing the work of dividing people and dividing society based on clothes, dress, and caste. I have told (officials) to withdraw the hijab ban.”
School Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa noted that the government order on hijab could not be changed abruptly, and the law department would review the matter. The ban on hijab faced legal challenges when Muslim girls contested it in the Karnataka High Court, which, in March 2022, dismissed their pleas. While the case remains subjudice, the Supreme Court delivered a split verdict on the matter in October 2022.
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