Hijab row not a controversy, but conspiracy against India, says BJP

New Delhi, Feb. 15 (IANS): Referring to a plea in the Karnataka High Court to defer hearing on the ‘hijab’ row till the Assembly polls were over, the BJP has raised questions over the timing of the row and said the row was not a controversy, but a conspiracy against India.

A plea has been filed in the high court to defer the hearing on the hijab row till the Assembly polls are over in five states. The court said that the application is not listed and we can consider if this request was made by the Election Commission or authority holding elections.

Pointing to the plea, BJP national General Secretary C T Ravi said, “In the ongoing hijab row, petitioner students have filed an application before the High Court to postpone their case until the completion of Elections in five States. What do students have to do with Assembly Elections? Does anyone still believe that the hijab issue was not pre-planned?”

“The hijab row is not a controversy, it is a conspiracy against India,” he said.

The Karnataka High Court on Monday adjourned hearing on the petitions filed in connection with the hijab row Tuesday.

Last week, the high court had restrained students from wearing hijab or any other religious attire until further orders.

Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has said that everyone should abide by the Karnataka High Court’s order on the hijab row.

“Schools up to 10th standard have reopened (Monday). A few incidents have been reported from various districts. A meeting would be convened to discuss the standard operating procedures. School managements, principals and parents share the responsibility of obeying the high court order. It will create a conducive atmosphere for the high court to deliver its final judgment. We should maintain restraint till then,” Bommai had said on Monday.

The hijab row, which started last month in Udupi Pre-University College after six girl students refused to remove hijab and were disallowed from entering the class. The row has snowballed into a major issue in the state and has hit international attention too. The bench had asked the media not to publish passing remarks and arguments by the counsel until the final order is issued on the matter.