Hijab row: MP talks of code on uniform, Bihar, and Tripura strike note of caution

Asked about the government’s response if there were demands as in Karnataka, he said: “Please pray that no such situation arises”.

In a state where girls’ education has been Nitish Kumar’s key election plank, his colleague and national spokesperson KC Tyagi was more forthright. “Religious practices and rituals should not be hurt. Sikh students keep a beard, will one ban that? The status quo on dress code should be maintained and there is no need for new rules which can cause contradictions in society. Our party has always been in support of communal harmony.”

Said Tyagi’s ally BJP national spokesman Guru Prakash Paswan: “Educational institutions are meant for the development of one’s own mind…Veil is not part of our culture.”

However, in Tripura, state Education Minister and BJP leader Ratan Lal Nath said there are no plans for a uniform dress code. “This might be an issue in some states, but for our state this (wearing hijab) is not…Our government is committed to offering quality education to students. This is not directly related to that. We are not interested at all to give importance to this”, he said. Nath added that the Tripura government works after taking consent from all stakeholders and doesn’t believe in raking up a controversy on an issue which doesn’t exist.

The education minister of BJP-ruled Himachal Pradesh, Govind Singh Thakur, said nothing is being actively considered on introducing a uniform dress code in schools so far.

Education ministers of Opposition-ruled states Maharashtra and West Bengal criticised the BJP for “politicising” school uniform.

“The Constitution gives each Indian a right to follow any religion. But bringing such discussions to educational institutions is a sad state of politics,” said Maharashtra School Education minister Varsha Gaikwad. “This makes one wonder if this politicisation is for Uttar Pradesh elections just because there is nothing else to talk about. The video that went viral today where a mob of boys charged at a hijab-wearing girl was really disturbing. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure all students are safe in educational institutions.”

West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu linked it to what he called the BJP’s bid to “saffronise” education. “We strive to ensure religious harmony among people and respect every religion. This kind of ban (on hijab) can go on in Karnataka or Madhya Pradesh but never in West Bengal.”

Rajasthan Education Minister BD Kalla said the state government does not impose any restrictions on women wearing hijab in educational institutions. “The BJP always tries to make issues out of non-issues,” he said.

Earlier in the day, in Bhopal, Parmar announced: “Hijab is not a part of uniform and, therefore, I feel it should be banned. There is no objection to people wearing the hijab while stepping out of their homes. But in schools, there should be a sense of equality and so a uniform dress code is required.”

(with inputs from Santanu Chowdhury in Kolkata and Deep Mukherjee in Jaipur).