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'Comments on India's internal issues not welcome': MEA after US remarks on hijab row

The issue is under judicial examination, says MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi

Muslim women participate in a candlelight march in Kolkata in protest over the 'hijab' controversy in Karnataka | PTI Muslim women participate in a candlelight march in Kolkata in protest over the 'hijab' controversy in Karnataka | PTI

India on Saturday criticised a US government body's remarks on the hijab controversy in Karnataka, saying “motivated comments” on the country's internal issues were not welcome.

A statement issued by External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India's constitutional framework and mechanisms, as well as its democratic ethos and polity, are the context in which issues are considered and resolved.

“Those who know India well would have a proper appreciation of these realities. Motivated comments on our internal issues are not welcome,” he said.

Bagchi also noted that the hijab controversy is under judicial examination.

On Friday, Rashad Hussain, the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom (IRF), had said that the hijab ban in Karnataka's schools violate religious freedom.

“Religious freedom includes the ability to choose one's religious attire. The Indian state of Karnataka should not determine permissibility of religious clothing. Hijab bans in schools violate religious freedom and stigmatize and marginalize women and girls,” he had said in a tweet.

In its interim order, the Karnataka High Court has restrained all students, regardless of their religion and faith, from wearing saffron shawls (bhagwa), scarfs, hijabs, religious flags or the like within classrooms until further orders. The court will continue hearing on Monday.

The row over hijab versus saffron scarves on the high school and college campuses in certain parts of the state had resulted in tension, untoward incidents and even taken a violent turn at some places.

The controversy had started towards the end of December last year when a few women students in hijabs were denied entry into a government pre-university college in Udupi. As a counter, some Hindu students turned up wearing saffron scarves.

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