On Hijab row, Karnataka JD(S) leader CM Ibrahim draws 'ghunghat' parallel

Karnataka JD(S) president CM Ibrahim on Tuesday noted that both former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and current President of India donned head coverings, likening the usage to Karnataka students attempting to wear hijab to educational institutions.

Bengaluru:Following Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's argument on Tuesday linking students wearing hijab to the Popular Front of India, Karnataka JD(S) president CM Ibrahim, through an analogy, has now compared hijab to donning a 'ghunghat' or 'pallu' (head covering).

"Indira Gandhi used to have a 'pallu' on her head, same with the President of India. Is their head covering also a conspiracy by the PFI? Head coverings have been an integral part of India's history and culture. Whether it is hijab or pallu, the thing stays the same. Names differ based on language," Ibrahim noted.

The remark comes in the backdrop of the Karnataka government's argument in Supreme Court the same day, wherein it claimed that the practice of using head coverings was kickstarted by PFI. Representing the government, SG Mehta argued that the move was part of an elaborate movement by the Popular Front.

"In 2022, PFI started a movement using social media where students were continuously asked to start wearing hijab. The agitation was based upon people's feelings and was not a spontaneous act from a few children. They did as they were advised," Mehta argued.

He also noted that in countries such as Iran, women had recently been seen fighting against the hijab. Mehta submitted before a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia that the purpose of uniform, is for equality, equity, and uniformity and when one has to cross that threshold, then that person's test has to be higher.