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

With the Karnataka High Court upholding the state governments decision on restrictions on hijab inside classrooms reactions from the political fraternity are pouring in from across the countryKarnataka 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 threemember bench of the High Court Everyone should cooperate while implementing the orders of the High Court All should accept the judgment and maintain peace and law and order he addedHe 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 futureThe 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 educationUnion 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 JoshiKarnataka BJP leader ES Eshwarappa too welcomed the high court order I welcome the HCs 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 saidEchoing 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 addedAfter 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 saidReacting to the verdict Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said ldquoall the horror and ruckus over the hijab row has fallen straight on its faceHC order deeply disappointingFormer Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti called the Karnataka high courts decision disappointingVery disappointed by the verdict of the Karnataka High Court Regardless of what you may think about the hijab its not about an item of clothing its about the right of a woman to choose how she wants to dressVery disappointed by the verdict of the Karnataka High Court Regardless of what you may think about the hijab itrsquos not about an item of clothing itrsquos about the right of a woman to choose how she wants to dress That the court didnrsquot uphold this basic right is a travestymdash Omar Abdullah OmarAbdullah March 15 2022That the court didnt uphold this basic right is a travesty Omar Abdullah said on his twitter pageAnother former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said Karnataka HCs decision to uphold the Hijab ban is deeply disappointingKarnataka HCrsquos 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 isnrsquot just about religion but the freedom to choosemdash Mehbooba Mufti MehboobaMufti March 15 2022On one hand we talk about empowering women yet we are denying them the right to a simple choice Its isnt just about religion but the freedom to chooseKarnataka HCs 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 isnt just about religion but the freedom to choose she addedAIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also reacted to the verdict 1 I disagree with Karnataka High Courts judgement on hijab Itrsquos my right to disagree with the judgement and I hope that petitioners appeal before SC1 I disagree with Karnataka High Courts judgement on hijab Itrsquos my right to disagree with the judgement amp I hope that petitioners appeal before SC2 I also hope that not only AIMPLB_Official but also organisations of other religious groups appeal this judgementmdash Asaduddin Owaisi asadowaisi March 15 2022Meanwhile 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 dont know Because everybody knows that Internationally it is part of faith I dont know how the court verdict has come It will be examined by an upper court Kunhalikutty told media personsHe 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 dont 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 addedWe 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 rightThe IUML leader said that the High Courts verdict is against fundamental rights and it has not confined to uniforms It is an individuals rightwhat 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 KunhalikuttyWith inputs from PTI and ANI