Bengaluru: Parties see deep conspiracy behind hijab row

Bengaluru: The State is in a state of turmoil due to the violence and confusion over the hijab issue. Campuses have become breeding grounds for hatred and expression of exclusivity. But in the melee, both BJP and Congress are searching for the proverbial 'unseen hands' that are deeply communal.

The first of these thoughts came from KPCC executive president Salim Ahmed and, within a few minutes, Law Minister J.C. Madhuswamy also aired similar views.

"Why the age-old hijab, naqub and burkha is an issue now? Muslim women wear them in accordance with the teaching of the Hadis to protect them from prying eyes and to protect their modesty, why is there this sudden attack on it without any provocation. This is not the hand of politics but there is a deeper conspiracy behind it engineered by extra-constitutional powers and deeply motivated unseen hand," Salim said.

Earlier, his own party colleague Suraiah Anjum questioned the need of wearing a hijab in educational institutions. She said there was no need of wearing a hijab inside the classroom as it was a place for the children to go for education and one should not corrupt their mind at an impressionable age.

J.C. Madhuswamy giving his own narrative has likened it to extra-political powers in the State. "It is engineered to suit a particular school of thought or religious narrative. Some forces are working against the society, these forces do not want the people to live in harmony, it is wrong to attribute it to the Sangh Parivar as the RSS will not get into such action that will bring enmity between two communities," he said.

Earlier, KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar who had analysed the hijab problem after getting intel inputs from his own party colleagues in 6 districts affected by the row, advised that the Congress leaders should look beyond the problem and not draw young people into the business or politics of hate.