Hijab & anti-national forces still active in K’taka: Basavaraj Bommai

Dakshina Kannada: Reacting to the withholding of the ‘Best Principal Award’ to the Kundapura principal, former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that Hijab and anti-national forces are still active in the state.

“Hijab forces are still at work while anti-national forces are still active in the state. Not awarding the principal is an insult to the entire teaching community. Forces and favouritism politics are at play. The Chief Minister should intervene and ensure the award is given to the principal otherwise the public will revolt,” the former Chief Minister said while talking to media persons after a party meeting at the BJP office in Mangaluru.

He said that the principal was doing his duty at the time while the high court also supported his actions, adding, that the case is still pending in the Supreme Court and it will not be right to withdraw the award.

Karnataka government, on Thursday, withheld the award to B.G. Ramakrishna, Principal of Government Pre-University College in Udupi district. Ramakrishna had courted controversy by asking Muslim female students wearing hijab to stand in the sun outside the classroom for months in 2021, at the height of the hijab row in the state.

Responding to a question about the BJP Mahila Morcha State President's call for an investigation into sexual harassment in politics, he said: "Wherever there is harassment, it should be investigated. How the investigation is conducted is up to the government.”

On the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case, Bommai said that the government has suspended an officer involved in the MUDA scam, thereby admitting to legal violations.

When asked about the state government's move to investigate cases during the BJP government's tenure, he said, "Let them investigate cases from our tenure. We are ready to face an investigation. There is law and there are courts.”

On the Dakshina Kannada-Udupi Legislative Council by-election, the former Chief Minister said that a meeting has been held today regarding the selection of candidates for the upcoming local administrative council constituency.

“The selection process will be conducted based on fundamental guidelines. We will discuss with leaders and seniors about how to proceed with the election process. The core committee had decided to send me to Mangaluru to submit a report on this. We will gather opinions from everyone,” the former Chief Minister said.