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Samajwadi Party leader Rubina Khanum threatens violence in hijab row, says she ‘will chop arms of those putting hands on hijab’

OpIndia Staff
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Samajwadi Party leader Rubina Khanum threatens violence in hijab row, says she ‘will chop arms of those putting hands on hijab’

The Karnataka Hijab row is spreading to more and more states, as political leaders use the controversy to meddle the situation more. Today a Samajwadi Party leader threatened violence against those who oppose Hijab in schools and colleges. On Saturday, Samajwadi Party leader Rubina Khanum made a controversial statement saying, ‘will cut off the arms of those who put hands on Hijab’. She supported the hijab-wearing Muslim girls and said that politicizing the hijab issue was mean and troublesome.

“India is a diverse country. Whether it is forehead tilak or turban, burqa or hijab, it is an integral part of our culture and traditions. Creating controversy by politicizing it is the height of meanness”, she added in a video that has gone viral over social media.

She also criticised the government and warned against thinking that ‘women are weak’. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking women are weak. If the self-esteem of our sisters and daughters is attacked, we will become the Queen of Jhansi and Razia Sultan and cut off their hands”, she affirmed.

Aligarh’s Samajwadi Party Metropolitan President Rubina Khanum further called the schools in Karnataka and those protesting against Hijab as ‘Kalyugi Raavan’ and accused that they were trying to create violence against Muslim women by not allowing them to wear hijab.

Earlier in Maharashtra, a burqa-clad woman had hit out at PM Modi over the issue and said that he should be burnt alive. “Modi brought hijab law to harass everyone, he should be burned alive”, she was quoted in the Nationalist Congress Party’s Pune protests over the Karnataka hijab controversy.

It is important to note that Rubina Khanum’s controversial remark also comes when Hindus are being openly attacked for supporting the ban on hijab in schools. Yesterday, Dileep Malagimane in Malebennur town, was attacked by a mob of 300 persons from the Muslim community, who dragged him out of the store and brutally attacked him over a post he had uploaded on WhatsApp to support the ban on hijab. Also, in Nallur village of Davangere district, another mob of Muslims had attacked Naveen and his 60-year-old mother for their alleged posts on social media on the hijab controversy.

The hijab controversy in Karnataka gained momentum since the first week of January after eight Muslim girls were denied entry to classes in a Udupi college because they were wearing hijab. The college authorities had informed that the hijab was not a part of the uniform dress code suggested to the students. The Muslim women, adamant on wearing hijab, then filed a petition in High Court seeking permission to attend classes with hijab. They stated that wearing hijab was their ‘fundamental right’ granted under Article 14 and 25 of the Indian Constitution and ‘integral practise of Islam’.

The controversy spiraled as Hindu students in Karnataka styled with saffron scarves around their necks, protested against Muslim girls continuing to wear Hijab to the college. Tensions also prevailed at some educational institutions in Udupi, Shivamogga, Bagalkote and other parts as incidents of stone-pelting and violence were reported from various parts of the state.

The High Court so far has declared that no one should be allowed to wear their religious attire inside the educational institutions until the matter is pending in the Court. However, the Supreme Court denied to interfere in the matter after the girls impatiently knocked the doors of the apex court.

Rubika Liyaquat, Taslima Nasreen and more: Muslim women who have been vigorously opposing the regressive practice of burqa

Suyash
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Rubika Liyaquat, Taslima Nasreen and more: Muslim women who have been vigorously opposing the regressive practice of burqa

The Udupi Burqa debate is one of the many cases which makes us paranoid over the course of Feminism in the 21st century. Supposedly Intellectual voices who usually stick their necks out to stand up against patriarchy on every issue under the sun, have now chosen silence ‘in solidarity’ with the Burqa-clad college aspirants. The worldview that often likes to paint itself libertarian, has kept itself busy at inventing new justifications for the centuries-old oppressive urges to cover the woman’s body.

While the school authorities are standing up to their decision of not allowing religious identities to take over the school uniform, The Burqa-clad girls too have made their priorities clear – “Hijab is our first priority, studies the second” The girls are being joined by the Arfa Khanums and Rana Aayubs of the world, who with their Islamist indoctrinations mince no words while convincing the world that wearing a Burqa or a Hijab is a matter of individual liberty. Sadly, for them to realise that Individual freedoms are bound by protocols of secular institutions, and their attempts to communalise them by wearing religious identities on sleeves will go unchallenged, comes from their rose-tinted tunnel vision of sharia complied world.

It was also time for Malala, to get up from nowhere and talabanise the institution in Udupi with her 280-character ‘solidarity’ on Twitter. She wants the girls to give up the college uniform and follow orthodox practices which she herself fought against the Taliban. According to her standing up against the Hijab, will lead to the objectification of women.

Amidst all the solidarity jargon, what stands out are the voices of those women who come fiercely while making sense of the pure fact that face veils have no place in a 21st-century society. While the Individuality of a woman for her will to wear the hijab can be used to validate Islamism, it can also be respected at times when she chooses to ditch the patriarchy instead. The voices of women from the community who have refused to perpetuate and generalise adamant misogynistic attitudes are somehow never pedestaled when they speak for themselves. Moreover, it has been observed, particularly in the hijab debate that those voices who have given away the veil are often stifled and threatened with online bullying, objectification and targeting. Here is a case study of views on the issue by four women from the Muslim community, who have been reckless fighters against Islamic radicalisation threatening to stifle the personal freedoms of women.

Rubika Liyaquat

ABP News anchor and Journalist left no stone unturned while making a case that Burqa has nothing to do with anything Indian. Recalling her times in Rajasthan, a state where the Ghoongat in some cases is a traditional commonplace, she asserted, “I have seen no girl going to school draping a veil. Here, we are going against the times where Ghungat is becoming obscure.” She also questioned how did the Black burquas inject themselves into the lives of the young generation while Muslim women from earlier generations only wore Indian dresses.

While Rubika was seen fighting the evils of Burqa in many of her latter tweets on the Udupi issue, she was trolled for expressing herself openly by people in Islamic and ‘liberal’ circles. Many questioned her with a defence of whataboutery sighting orthodox Hindu customs existing, others used slangs, objectification, passed misogynistic comments and even questioned her journalistic credentials.

Taslima Nasreen

Author Taslima Nasreen has been at the forefront to call out the subtle imposition of Burqa or Hijab as a symbol of ‘Islamism and misogyny’. She is of the opinion that all kinds of religious symbolism should be avoided in secular institutions like schools.

While hinting at the invasion of politics in the issue, she thrashed out at orthodox practices in Islam saying, “Islam is now political Islam. Hijab is now political hijab.”

It’s glaring to see when criticism from the religious quarters arrives at the tweets of these women, it is mostly the male accounts countering their progressive ideas. Much talk about the individual rights of women fails to deliver here. While all Taslima asked for was separating religious symbolism from schools, she too was charged with inciting ‘communalism’.

Amana Begam Ansari

Meet Amana Begum Ansari – Researcher and Policy Analyst who has led the cause of Pasmanda Muslims in India. Amana is of the view that while she does not support the burqa, she is not in favour of its complete ban by the state unless a security concern arises. While calling out the veil patriarchal, she says, “Women should have the right to wear patriarchal clothes just like they have the right to smoke despite being it a health issue.”

Nuanced takes like those of Amana are often slipped under the carpet while meta-narratives of glorifying and justifying the Burqa qualify as positions taken in favour of personal liberties. While speaking on The Sham Sharma Show, Amana claimed that while orthodoxies in the Hindu community have been rightfully challenged by awareness, the state has taken no steps like these, when it came to Muslims. “Campaigns with slogans like Ghoongat Chodo, Duniya Dekho are assertively carried out in interior Rajasthan by the Congress Government, but there would never be such slogans when it comes to the Muslim community.”

Arshia Malik

While progressive voices calling out for reforms in the Muslim society are often sidelined, Arshia Malik, who hails from Delhi has made sure her voice is always heard. In a recent article in The New Indian, she writes, “Those liberals of Muslim or non-Muslim heritage who are supporting the enforcement of hijab in Muslim culture as freedom of choice, and a tool of empowerment need to understand the moment when, girls, just about to step into puberty or years away from it are told to cover up.” In her opinion piece, she has argued for Muslims often being the victims of Islam itself.

While calling out the hypocrisy of Lawyer Devadutt Kamat, who argued before the court on behalf of the girls that wearing Hijab is an essential practice in Islam while citing religious scriptures, Arshia wrote on Twitter asking, “Since when did law courts in India become Sharia courts?”

Maybe there is a reason why do not celebrate the life of Fatima Sheikh, who alongside Savitribai Phule became the first Muslim teacher in India as a social reformer. Her name has been brushed away in history whereas the Phules are revered for their pathbreaking deeds. Who remembers Mehrunnisa Dalwai? – who fought against the social evils of Triple Talaq all throughout her life. Reformers in the Muslim sphere need recognition at a time when young college going girls have suddenly taken up Hijab as a marker of their identity. The girls, without being demonised, should be opened up to the values of the new India where cultural identities do not contest with the baggage of continuing practices just for the sake of tradition.

The case for burqa not only exhibits the ongoing Islamic radicalization in society but also justifies patriarchal notions against women of the worst kind. How can a collectivist normalization of covering every woman visible be touted as an exercise in personal individual liberty? The Burqa debate that has erupted out of Karnataka is about to spread its tentacles all over the country. The question thence before the nation is an all-encompassing philosophical, legal, political and religious one – Will obscure religious/social practices hurting eternal individual freedoms be allowed to determine the fabric of the 21st-century society or will the state intervene?

IPL Auctions 2022: KKR buys Shreyas Iyer for Rs 12.25 crores

OpIndia Staff
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IPL Auctions 2022: KKR buys Shreyas Iyer for Rs 12.25 crores

Kolkata Knight Riders have bought Shreyas Iyer in Tata IPL auctions 2022. Kolkata Knight Riders have bought him for Rs. 12.25 crores

The right-handed top-order batsman – Shreyas Iyer had captained the Delhi Capitals in the last season, however, the team did not retain him for this season. Kolkata Knight Riders will is his second franchise.

A total of 10 teams will be participating in IPL 2022. Till now, the IPL was contested among eight teams. Two new teams – Lucknow Supergiants and Gujarat Titans have been added, making this season one of the biggest tournaments ever held across the world. The IPL 2022 is scheduled from April 2, and the finals will be held on June 3 2022.

‘Do we ask for proof on whose son you are? Why do you want proof for surgical strikes?’: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma hits out at Rahul Gandhi

OpIndia Staff
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‘Do we ask for proof on whose son you are? Why do you want proof for surgical strikes?’: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma hits out at Rahul Gandhi

On Friday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hit out at Gandhi-scion Rahul Gandhi for expressing doubts over the surgical strikes carried out against Pakistan and demanding proof from the Indian Armed Forces.

Addressing a public meeting at Uttarakhand’s Kichha ahead of the assembly elections, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hit out at Rahul Gandhi by asking whether his party has never sought any proof on whose son he was. Sarma attacked Rahul Gandhi for repeatedly raising doubts about India’s surgical strikes.

In his address, Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “Look at the mentality of these people. General Bipin Rawat was the pride of the country. India conducted the Surgical Strike in Pakistan under his leadership. Rahul Gandhi demanded proof of the strike. Did we ever ask you for proof of whether you are Rajiv Gandhi’s son or not? What right do you have to demand proof from my Army?”

Hitting out further, the Assam Chief Minister said that there could not be any dispute once the Army said that the strike was conducted.

“If our Army said that they conducted the strike in Pakistan, that means they have done it. Where is the discrepancy in this? Don’t you have trust in General Bipin Rawat? If he has said that the Army conducted the strike, that means they have done it. So why do you want proof of it? Do not disrespect the soldiers. People sacrifice their lives for the country,” Sarma said while addressing a public meeting in Uttarakhand.

The Indian Armed Forces had carried out two surgical strikes, first in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in September 2016 after 19 of the Indian Army soldiers were killed in the base camp in Uri. Again in 2019, the Indian Airforce had carried out an Airstrike following a suicide bomber attack on the convoy of 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel on February 14.

On both occasions, Rahul Gandhi and his party had attempted to politicise the issue and had expressed doubts over the strikes. Rahul Gandhi had tried his level best to cast aspersions around the Pulwama attack and suggested that it was an “inside job” of the BJP for electoral gain ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

IPL Auctions 2022: Rajasthan Royals buys Ace-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for Rs 5 crores

OpIndia Staff
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IPL Auctions 2022: Rajasthan Royals buys Ace-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for Rs 5 crores

Indian ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is all set to play for Rajasthan Royals. The franchise bought the spinner for Rs.5 crores in the Tata IPL Auctions 2022.

Ravichandran Ashwin has played for different franchises including Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals and was also the captain for the Kings XI Punjab. The Rajasthan-based team has now bought him. This is his fourth IPL team.

A total of 10 teams will be participating in IPL 2022. Till now, the IPL was contested among 8 teams. Two new teams – Lucknow Supergiants and Gujarat Titans have been added, making this season one of the biggest tournaments ever held across the world. The IPL 2022 is scheduled from April 2 and the finals will be held on June 3 2022.

Karnataka: Students offer Namaz inside govt school premises in Bagalkote amid burqa row

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Students offer Namaz inside govt school premises in Bagalkote amid burqa row

In accordance with the ongoing hijab row in the state of Karnataka, 6 students in a government school happened to offer Namaz inside the school premises in Ilkul, Bagalkote. The controversy erupted when the locals of Ilkul town opposed the students being allowed to offer Namaz in the school premises.

According to the CNNnews18 report, the Ilkul school principal had clearly directed the students that they can’t offer Namaz in the classrooms or in the school, yet the girls offered Namaz in the corridor area when the teachers were busy having their lunch. The locals have questioned the school management over the incident.

While the video of the girls offering Namaz went viral over the social media, a similar incident has been reported in a government school of Kadapa in Mangalore. The girls there were seen offering Namaz inside a vacant classroom. As tensions prevailed in the town, the Block Education Officer in Manglore has sought a report pertaining to the incident from the school in Kadapa.

This is weeks after a school principal of Bale Changappa Government Higher Primary School in Bengaluru got suspended for allowing students to offer Namaz in the classroom. Around 20 students offered their Friday prayers in the classroom since December last year, after headmistress Uma Devi permitted them to do so.

The issue, however, came to light when a video of the incident was shot on Friday, January 21 and uploaded on various social media sites on January 23.Many locals as well as the members of various Hindu organisations had protested against the authorities of the school for favoring children of a particular community.

Offering Namaz in Public places

Huge controversies have embroiled after local Muslim residents started offering Namaz in public places in some parts of India, especially Gurugram in Haryana. Recalling the one in Gurgaon, Haryana, CM Manohar Lal Khattar had opined that ‘Namaz should be read in Mosques or Idgahs rather than public spaces’.

Further according to former UP Shia Waqf Board chairman Syed Waseem Rizvi people are supposed to seek permission before using public spaces for prayers. “One cannot offer namaz at a public space without seeking permission from the authorities concerned. Offering Namaz at public places without proper permission is not allowed in Islam,” Rizvi had said earlier back in 2018. Rizvi has since reverted to Hinduism and goes by the name Jitendra Narayan Tyagi

Prominent Muslim cleric and member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali also had noted that Muslims should avoid offering namaz at places where it inconveniences others. “People must adhere to the directions of the local administration when it comes to using public spaces for offering namaz. It is best that one offers Namaz either inside one’s home or at a designated place such as a mosque,” the Muslim scholar had said then.

Police suspects Campus Front India’s (CFI) role in the Karnataka Hijab Row

In an update to the ongoing hijab controversy in Karnataka that initiated at the core of Udupi first, the CNNnews18 report confirms that the communal tensions in the city have calmed down after hundreds of policemen rallied on the streets to motivate the students to not fall prey to the vested interests.

However, the major point of contention revolves around the role of the Campus Front of India (CFI) who is believed to be the brain child of the entire episode. The Police and the local administrative authorities have suspected that the CFI has instigated the girls to run the Muslim agenda. The CFI has also been accusing the state government of favoring the anti-muslim propoganda.

The Police to the CNNnews18 has said that they are about to launch an investigation in the case pertaining to CFI’s involvement. This is after the Udupi MLA K Raghupathi Bhat has also called for an NIA investigation into the hijab controversy. “The students all by themselves cannot plant themselves into such a massive operations and conjure up such support for the Hijab movement”, he was quoted.

The hijab controversy gained the grounds earlier this month when eight hijab wearing Muslim girls denied to follow the school uniform regulations. They hit the High Court seeking permission to attend the classes with hijab, as it is their fundamental rights, they said. The girls have admitted to have been consulting CFI over the hijab row. They have been in talks with the CFI since October 2021 and the pro-hijab protests started in December 2021.

The High Court so far has declared that no one should be allowed to wear their religious attire inside the educational institutions until the matter is pending in the Court. However, the Supreme Court denied to interfere in the matter after the girls impatiently knocked the doors of the apex court.

‘Motivated comment on internal issues not welcomed’, India strongly responds to comments by foreign countries on Karnataka burqa row

OpIndia Staff
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‘Motivated comment on internal issues not welcomed’, India strongly responds to comments by foreign countries on Karnataka burqa row

In response to media queries on India’s reaction to comments by some countries on the ongoing hijab controversy in Karnataka, the official spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry, Arindam Bagchi has curtly stated that India does not welcome motivated comment on its internal issues.

Bagchi took to his official Twitter account to share MEA’s strong reaction in response to the comments by some countries on dress code in some educational institutions in Karnataka. The statement read: “A matter regarding dress code in some educational institutions in the State of Karnataka is under judicial examination by the Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka. Our constitutional framework and mechanisms, as well as our democratic ethos and polity, are the context in which issues are considered and resolved. Those who know India well would have a proper appreciation of these realities. Motivated comments on our internal issues are not welcome.”

Screenshot of the statement issued by MEA

Dr Ashwathnarayan C. N., Minister for Higher Education for Karnataka government also called out the intervention of foreign countries in internal matters of India.

He, too, pointed out that facts were twisted and reiterated that Karnataka and India are capable of resolving internal matters amicably within the constitutional and democratic framework. “External forces attempting to twist facts with a hidden agenda and create false interpretations have to be called out,” he said.

The audacious attempts of country like Pakistan and America to intervene in the ongoing hijab issue in Karnataka prompted the MEA’s remark. Earlier in the day, OpIndia reported how the United States of America decided to meddle into India’s internal affairs by putting misleading information regarding the ongoing Hijab controversy in the country. Prior to this, Pakistan had attempted to milk the Hijab controversy to peddle false propaganda to try and push its agenda on Indian soil.

Interestingly, the coordinated attempts by foreign powers, especially Pakistan and America, comes just a year after Rahul Gandhi had asked for American interference in India’s internal matters.

Rahul Gandhi asked for American interference in India, asking former Ambassador Nicholas Burns if they (US establishment) could make any comment on India. 

BJP turned Congress turned TMC leader Kirti Azad spreads fake news about BJP leaders attacked in Uttar Pradesh

Jhankar Mohta
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BJP turned Congress turned TMC leader Kirti Azad spreads fake news about BJP leaders attacked in Uttar Pradesh

On Saturday, February 12, TMC leader and former cricket Kirti Azad took to social media to spread fake news that BJP leaders are getting attacked in Uttar Pradesh on the second phase of polling in the state. BJP’s national executive committee member Dr Anirban Ganguly was quick to rebuke the son of former Bihar chief minister Bhagwat Jha Azad and former Congress leader for not being able to distinguish between the hinterlands of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

Kirti Azad, who was at one point even with the BJP, shared a snippet on Twitter with claims that shoes are being showered in the villages of Uttar Pradesh while TV channels are busy predicting the return of BJP in the state with 300 seats.

The video, shows security personnel escorting and ushering a man into a vehicle as a mob chases him and attacks him with sticks and shoes. Sharing the video, Kirti Azad mocked the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, insinuating that a BJP leader is being showered with shoes in a village in Uttar Pradesh when he went to campaign there while news channels are predicting the return of the party with a thumping majority in the state.

However, BJP leader Dr Anirban Ganguly pointed out Kirti Azad’s inability to distinguish between West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. “Hi Kirti, amusing to see that you,Bhagwat Jha Azad’s son,can’t distinguish between the hinterlands of #WestBengal & #UttarPradesh!This is clip of a jihadi attack engineered by TMC on me on Election Day, April 30 2021.Having become a FAMILY DOORMAT you have lost your rationality!” he tweeted.

He enlightened the TMC leader that the clip he shared claiming to be that of Uttar Pradesh was actually from West Bengal when TMC goons had heckled him in Illambazar, located in West Bengal’s Birbhum amid the voting exercise for the last phase of Bengal elections held on April 30, 2021. Ganguly had contested from the district’s Bolpur constituency during the West Bengal Assembly elections in 2021.

It should be noted that this particular clip, which Kirti Azad posted, claiming to be from Uttar Pradesh, was widely spread at that time too by numerous news networks. Sangbad Pratidin had shared the video on April 29, 2021, on its YouTube channel titled: “BJP candidate from Bolpur Anirban Ganguly’s convoy attacked at Ilambazar, Birbhum”.

Multiple media houses had also reported how Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers had attacked Ganguly’s car with bamboos and sticks, breaking the vehicle’s windshield, while it was passing through villages in Illambazar. Ganguly had escaped unhurt.

The incident was reported by Republic TV on April 29, 2021
The incident was reported by The Indian Express on April 30, 2021

“The TMC has become desperate to cling on to power and that’s why it is orchestrating such attacks. People are being threatened not to venture out of their homes. I went there to ensure that they come and vote for whichever party they want. But the TMC is resorting to violence as the party is scared of losing the elections,” the BJP leader had said then.

Even though all of the details are public, one is left to wonder why the TMC leader made such a ridiculous claim just to embarrass himself.

Meanwhile, voting concluded for the first phase of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh on February 10, Thursday evening. A total of 2.27 crore voters of 58 assembly constituencies across 11 districts had exercised their franchise throughout the day. The remaining phases will be held on February 14, 20, 23, 27, March 3 and 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

American diplomat attempts to meddle in India’s internal affairs amid ongoing burqa row, earlier Pakistan too tried to interfere

OpIndia Staff
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American diplomat attempts to meddle in India’s internal affairs amid ongoing burqa row, earlier Pakistan too tried to interfere

After Pakistan attempted to milk the Hijab controversy, the United States of America has decided to meddle into India’s internal affairs by putting misleading information regarding the ongoing Hijab controversy in the country.

On Friday, US Ambassador at Large for the controversial organisation – International Religious Freedom (IRF) Rashad Hussain waded into the controversy by claiming that religious freedom included the ability to choose one’s religious attire. Without comprehending the nuances of the issue, the Ambassador went on to say that Karnataka should not determine the permissibility of religious clothing.

He added hijab bans in schools violated religious freedom and stigmatised and marginalised women and girls.

In a tweet, Hussain said, “Religious freedom includes the ability to choose one’s religious attire. The Indian state of Karnataka should not determine the permissibility of religious clothing. Hijab bans in schools violate religious freedom and stigmatise and marginalise women and girls.”

American Diplomat’s tweet

His comments amidst the ongoing controversy in the state of Karnataka, where a section of burqa clad people, backed by radical Islamic organisations such as Popular Front of India (PFI) and Jamaat-e-Islami are orchestrating protests after the government asked them to follow the rules and not to wear hijab inside schools and colleges in Karnataka.

The US body’s attempts to interfere in India’s domestic affairs, however, did not go well with the citizens of the country. Several netizens slammed the United States International Religious Freedom (IRF) for its unnecessary statements on the latest hijab row and asked them to stop peddling false propaganda against the country.

Social media user @moronhumour ridiculed the Americans for trying to teach morality to Indians, and he reminded how the American administration was notoriously racist in the past. He also noted the US had searched Sikh men after mistaking them for terrorists because of the turban and humiliated them in the name of security at airports.

Ajit Datta, author and journalist, also schooled Ambassador Hussain, saying it was unfair of him to expect Indians to prostrate before the Taliban only because Americans did.

Some social media users also reminded the Americans about their hypocrisy in dealing with the same issue in different countries based on their political convenience. They said the US neither uttered a single word when the Taliban imposed compulsory hijab on their women nor spoke when France mandated the ban on hijab at schools. However, the US does not waste any opportunity to humiliate Indians, especially Hindus, even when the country abides by secular values.

Journalist Yusuf Unjhawala also pointed to the Ambassador that the US itself has followed similar rules to ban hijab in school when Clark County in the US had introduced mandatory uniform in 2003. He also noted that one Muslim student was suspended after she had worn the garment even after repeated warnings.

Another social media user said that religious freedom for America meant nothing but its ability to carry out the industrial-scale mass conversion of a country’s population into Christianity through economic coercion. He also said that “freedom” is a misnomer that is used for every kind of imperialism, including religious imperialism exported by the US empire.

Abhinav Prakash, professor and commentator, asked the west is not an ally of India as it promoted all kinds of extremist ideologies against India.

Strangely, the so-called liberals were also not happy with the statement issued by International Religious Freedom. Tanvi Madan, the senior fellow at Brooking Institute, took a sarcastic dig at the situation and said how the Ministry of External Affairs would issue statement that this is internal matter of India. Which is quite true, because America really has no business to meddle in India’s business.

Except, her rouse was that such statements by the US would polarise the situation on the ground, especially in favour of the Hindus, at a time when elections to five statements are ongoing.

It is pertinent to note that the controversial US body has always been at the forefront of the misinformation campaign against the country. Ever since Narendra Modi returned to power in 2019, the USCIRF has been meddling in India’s internal affairs by indulging in one-sided motivated propaganda against the Modi government.

The US congressional body emerged into the scene following the abrogation of Article 370 in the country with its misleading statements and continued to do so even during the implementation of the historic Citizenship Amendment Act. It is notable here that the USCIRF has a history of fanning baseless rumours and leftist propaganda against India. They had also ranted against India’s Citizenship Amendment Act, calling it a ‘dangerous turn in the wrong direction.

Now, they have returned again to peddle false propaganda against India and have conveniently used the hijab controversy to try and push its agenda on Indian soil.

Interestingly, the coordinated attempts by foreign powers, especially Pakistan and America, comes just a year after Rahul Gandhi had asked for American interference in India’s internal matters.

Rahul Gandhi asked for American interference in India, asking former Ambassador Nicholas Burns if they (US establishment) could make any comment on India. He said, “I don’t hear anything from the US establishment about what is happening in India. If you are saying, partnership in democracy is, I mean, what’s your view on what is happening here?” Burns was visibly shocked after hearing this open offer from Rahul Gandhi for asking for America to comment on India’s internal matters.

Rahul Gandhi had also added, “I fundamentally believe that America is a profound idea. The idea of freedom, the way it is encapsulated in your constitution, is a very powerful idea. But you got to defend that idea. And that’s the real question”.

However, Nicholas Burns did not respond to this specifically, only saying that they will discuss these matters when they hold the next session in two weeks with another guest from India.

Amid burqa row, Karnataka colleges to remain shut till February 16

OpIndia Staff
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Amid burqa row, Karnataka colleges to remain shut till February 16

The Karnataka government stated on Friday that the holiday declared for PU, degree, engineering and diploma colleges and universities under the Department of Higher Education and colleges under the Department of Collegiate and Technical Education (DCTE) in the wake of the Hijab issue has been extended until February 16. Until then, the institutions have been directed to conduct online classes.

It may be recalled that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai ordered the closure of all high schools and institutions in Karnataka for the next three days on February 8, after the burqa debate in the state took a nasty turn. However, with the hijab controversy spiralling out of control and protests continuing across the state, the Karnataka state government has decided to prolong the holiday for colleges under the Higher Education Department, which would now remain closed till Wednesday, February 16.

The Karnataka government has also directed district deputy commissioners and police superintendents to follow the high court’s interim decision prohibiting students from wearing Hijab or any religious clothes till the disposal of the case.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai convened a ministerial meeting today through video conference with Deputy Commissioners (DCs), Superintendents of Police (SPs), Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPIs), and CEOs of Zilla Panchayats from across the state to assess the situation on the ground.

Stating that law and order must be preserved at all costs and that efforts must be taken to prevent outside provocation, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said that officials have been directed to remain on the ground and monitor the situation in their designated locations.

Karnataka HC orders students not to wear any religious clothing in colleges till the matter is disposed

On February 10, the Karnataka High Court passed an interim order in the Hijab ban matter asking the students not to wear anything religious in nature till the disposal of the case. The order was passed while the court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by Muslim girl students in the state claiming that the colleges have restricted their entry as they wear hijab.

“We will pass an order that let the institutions start, but till the matter is pending, these students and stakeholders will not insist on wearing any religious garment or headdress. We will restrain everyone. We want peace and tranquillity…Till the disposal of the matter, you people should not insist on wearing all these religious things. We will restrain everyone (in the interim) from adopting all these practices,” the Court noted.

Tensions have prevailed at various educational institutions in Karnataka’s Udupi, Shivamogga, Bagalkote and other parts over the Hijab row. On Tuesday, incidents of stone-pelting and violence were reported from various parts of the state. Police reportedly resorted to lathi-charge to quell up the mob, which began pelting stones at Pre-University Colleges in various districts of the state.

Karnataka hijab controversy

The Hijab controversy, which began in a school in Udupi, Karnataka, has now extended throughout the state. More than 20 hijab-wearing female students were barred from entering Bhandarkar College in Kundapur, Karnataka’s Udupi district, on February 3. The PU College issue originally surfaced on January 2, 2022, when six Muslim female students insisted on wearing hijab in class, despite the fact that it was against the uniform rules.

Many boys decided to protest by wearing saffron scarves throughout campus because the girls refused to remove their Hijabs, openly flouting the uniform regulation. They were all turned away since their clothing did not match the institution’s prescribed uniform.

Campus Front of India counselling burqa clad people over hijab controversy

Ever since the hijab issue snowballed into a major controversy with protests being reported from many parts of the state, the link between it and the involvement of the Campus Front of India (CFI) has also emerged. On Thursday, February 10, investigative journalist and activist Vijay Patel shared a Tweet thread revealing how radical groups and the left-liberal media have exploited the hijab controversy in Udupi, Karnataka, to spread their venomous anti-India propaganda. 

In fact, Congress has also been trying to exploit the controversy to malign the central government. Priyanka Gandhi had earlier conflated the Karnataka hijab row with women’s rights issues, falsely insinuating that the hijab-clad girls are being denied their “constitutional rights”.

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