'Disappointing', 'hijab row fell straight on its face': Politicians react to K'taka HC verdict on hijab ban

Asaduddin Owaisi (L), Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (C), Mehbooba Mufti

With the Karnataka High Court upholding the state government's decision on restrictions on hijab inside classrooms, reactions from the political fraternity are pouring in from across the country.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, "It is a question of fate and education of our children. Education is more important than anything else. Therefore, we should all follow the verdict of a three-member bench of the High Court. Everyone should co-operate while implementing the orders of the High Court." All should accept the judgment and maintain peace and law and order, he added.

He said, "All students must comply with the High Court order. Your education is very important. He said all should attend classes, not skip the examinations, shape your future."

The Primary and Secondary Education Minister BC Nagesh said we will try to win the hearts of the 'misguided' Muslim girls who are against the move, and 'bring them in the mainstream of education'.

Union minister Prahlad Joshi appealed to everyone that the state and country have to go forward, everyone has to maintain peace by accepting the order of the High Court. "The basic work of students is to study. So leaving all this aside they should study and be united," said Joshi.

Karnataka BJP leader ES Eshwarappa too welcomed the high court order. "I welcome the HC's decision. Muslim students of the state faced problems for a long time. Someone had misguided them. Quality education should be given to all students. So everyone should accept the order," he said.

Echoing similar sentiments, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said he appreciates the judgment. "Basic argument in favour of hijab is that wearing it is freedom of expression and it is a fundamental right. But the court prima facie has found that the same article 19 (2) of the fundamental right also provides for reasonable restrictions," Prasad said. "Therefore, the school norm of prescribing dress code has to be followed because that comes under reasonable restriction," he added.

"After examining all texts, the court has found it (hijab) is not at all an essential part of religion," he said further. Referring to the "profound" initiatives of empowering women taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by permitting them to become combative officers in the Army and fly fighter planes in the air force, Prasad said there is a dress code for joining the armed forces or scientific laboratories. "I would suggest the entire debate should be seen in the context of women empowerment," he said.

Reacting to the verdict, Minority Affairs Minister, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, "all the horror and ruckus over the hijab row has fallen straight on its face."

'HC order deeply disappointing'

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti called the Karnataka high court's decision "disappointing".

"Very disappointed by the verdict of the Karnataka High Court. Regardless of what you may think about the hijab it's not about an item of clothing, it's about the right of a woman to choose how she wants to dress.

"That the court didn't uphold this basic right is a travesty", Omar Abdullah said on his twitter page.

Another former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said: "Karnataka HC's decision to uphold the Hijab ban is deeply disappointing.

"On one hand we talk about empowering women yet we are denying them the right to a simple choice. Its isn't just about religion but the freedom to choose".

Karnataka HC's decision to uphold the Hijab ban is deeply disappointing," Mehbooba Mufti, PDP president, said in a tweet. "On one hand we talk about empowering women yet we are denying them the right to a simple choice. Its isn't just about religion but the freedom to choose," she added.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also reacted to the verdict. "1. I disagree with Karnataka High Court's judgement on hijab. It's my right to disagree with the judgement and I hope that petitioners appeal before SC

Meanwhile, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader PK Kunhalikutty said that Hijab is the right of an individual and is considered to be part of faith, adding that the matter will be further taken to the Supreme Court. "Hijab is an international issue. It is the right of an individual and it is considered to be part of faith. How can this be otherwise interpreted, I don't know? Because everybody knows that Internationally it is part of faith. I don't know how the court verdict has come. It will be examined by an upper court," Kunhalikutty told media persons.

He further said that the verdict has been examined by the legal experts and taken up in some other upper courts. "How can there be such a verdict? Internationally it is considered an essential part of faith. I don't know how the verdict is given by the honourable court. That will today have examined by the legal experts and taken up in some other upper courts," he added.

"We have to consider that. It is part of religious faith, internationally it is considered to be part of religious faith. It is up to the individual. Some people considered it is very essential. Some people do not consider it as it is very essential. Even among those who believe there are different degrees, different ways to do that. It is an individual right."

The IUML leader said that the High Court's verdict is against fundamental rights and it has not confined to uniforms. "It is an individual's right--what to eat, how to dress. It is against fundamental rights. It has exceeded that, it has not been confined to uniforms. Why should they say it is not part of essential what we detected in that context? There is something inside that. Why should it be debated like that? If it is left to individuals and it is left to their rights nothing would have happened. They have some ultimate motives," said Kunhalikutty.

With inputs from PTI and ANI