Former deputy CM criticizes hijab policy

Shivamogga: Former deputy chief minister KS Eshwarappa on Thursday lashed out at the Karnataka govt, accusing it of violating a directive from the high court, by allowing students to wear hijab in educational institutions.

Speaking to reporters, Eshwarappa claimed that the govt’s decision to permit religious attire alongside school uniforms, undermines the rule of law and ignores the high court’s 2022 verdict, which stated that hijab is not an essential religious practice in Islam. He argued that by rolling back the previous ban, the current administration is encouraging religious division and politicising the education system.

Eshwarappa warned of potential unrest, asserting that schools should remain secular spaces free from religious identifiers. The expelled BJP leader further suggested that this move is a 'vote bank' tactic and warned that the govt would be held responsible for any communal tension that would be a result of this decision.