Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday joined the debate over Muslim girls’ demand to wear hijab in classrooms in Karnataka saying that ‘Ma Saraswati’ did not ‘differentiate’ based on students’ religious backgrounds.
Gandhi took to Twitter to write, “By letting students’ hijab come in the way of their education, we are robbing the future of the daughters of India. Ma Saraswati gives knowledge to all. She doesn’t differentiate. #SaraswatiPuja.”
By letting students’ hijab come in the way of their education, we are robbing the future of the daughters of India.
Ma Saraswati gives knowledge to all. She doesn’t differentiate. #SaraswatiPuja
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 5, 2022
The BJP has been facing condemnation for pushing its Islamophobia even inside educational institutions by banning Muslim girls from attending classes in hijab. Dozens of Muslim girls in hijab have been staging protests outside Bhandarkars Arts and Science Degree College in Kundapur, which is a coastal town in Karnataka’s Udupi region.
Reacting to Gandhi tweet, BJP Karanataka responded on Twitter, “By communalising education, CONgress co-owner Rahul Gandhi has once again proved that he is dangerous to the future of India. If hijab is very much essential to get educated, why doesn’t Rahul Gandhi make it mandatory in states ruled by CONgress?”
By communalising education, CONgress co-owner @RahulGandhi has once again proved that he is dangerous to the future of India.
If Hijab is very much essential to get educated, why doesn't Rahul Gandhi make it mandatory in States ruled by CONgress?#CommunalCONgress https://t.co/MnVoVSJKEm
— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) February 5, 2022
To justify its decision to ban the entry of Muslim girls in hijab, the college also stopped Hindu boys and girls in saffron shawls.
Protest against #Hijab continued even today also at #Bhandarkar private college at #Kundapura. This time #Hindu girl students wearing #saffronshawls came to college protesting against hijab. pic.twitter.com/8kmB8M1w3i
— Imran Khan (@KeypadGuerilla) February 5, 2022
However, there were not many takers to this step as wearing saffron stoles is not an integral part of the Hindu faith as covering the head with hijab is for Muslim girls. The fact Hindu boys and girls arrived at the college chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’- a war cry for Hindutva terrorists- showed just how poisonous the college campus has become under the BJP rule.
