After the United States and Pakistan waded in the Karnataka hijab row, the ministry of external affairs on Saturday said that “motivated comments” on India’s internal issues are not welcome. The ministry said in a statement that the matter regarding dress code is under judicial examination.

“Our constitutional framework and mechanisms, as well as our democratic ethos and polity, are the context in which issues are considered and resolved,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a statement. “Those who know India well would have a proper appreciation of those realities,” he added. On Friday, a US government body that monitors and reports on religious freedom abroad had criticised Karnataka. Rashad Hussain, the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, or IRF, tweeted “hijab bans in schools violate religious freedom”.