Union Home Minister Amit Shah has spoken of the need to obey dress codes of educational institutions, in reference to the contentious hijab issue.
As the Karnataka High Court continues hearing petitions on the matter, Shah's comments are the first response of a senior minister of the Narendra Modi government on the issue, which has been raging in Karnataka for several weeks.
Shah was asked about the hijab issue in an interview with News 18, which will be aired on Monday evening.
Shah told News 18 “My personal opinion is that all religions have to follow a school's dress code.” Shah added everyone should abide by the court order, alluding to the ongoing proceedings in the Karnataka High Court.
Earlier this month, the opposition parties demanded a statement from Shah in Parliament over the hijab issue. On February 8, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, who is the MP from Karnataka's Dharwad, was quoted by The Indian Express as telling reporters outside Parliament, “All students must follow the dress code prescribed by the schools and administration. Law and order must be maintained in the state. We need to see who are these people instigating the students.”
UP polls
Shah told News 18 he was confident the BJP would win the UP polls with a majority. “Under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath, the BJP has been successful in winning the hearts of the people. Support and love for the Prime Minister is much higher today than it was in December 2013. This the feeling on the ground. I know that the BJP will win with a majority in these elections. We will seal the election by hitting a boundary,” Shah told News 18.
