New Delhi: In a hard-hitting reply to Pakistan’s claim over the Karnataka hijab controversy, India’s Charge d’Affaires Suresh Kumar who was summoned to Islamabad’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, called the country’s claims "baseless" and said that India is a secular country. Pakistan has once again attempted to interfere in India’s internal affairs by promoting misinformation about the ongoing Hijab controversy in Karnataka. According to sources, terming Pakistan's claim as baseless, the Indian diplomat said there are processes in place and that ‘Islamabad should look at their track record’.
A controversy over hijab erupted in the state of Karnataka after six female students belonging to the Government PU College for Girls in Udupi were not allowed to attend classes wearing hijab. The Hijab row has also gained international attention. On Wednesday, India’s Charge d’Affaires was summoned to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Also Read: Pakistan summons India's envoy In Islamabad over Karnataka hijab row
In a statement, the Pakistan Foreign Office said, “The Indian Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today and was conveyed Government of Pak’s grave concern and condemnation on the deeply reprehensible act of banning Muslim girl students from wearing hijab (headscarf) in the Indian state of Karnataka. The Charge d’Affaires was urged to convey to the Government of India, Pakistan’s extreme concern over the anti-hijab campaign, being spearheaded by RSS-BJP combine in Karnataka, which is part of its larger exclusionist and majoritarian agenda aimed at dehumanizing and demonizing Muslim women”, the statement read. “The Indian government must hold the perpetrators of harassment against women in Karnataka to account and take adequate measures to ensure the safety, security and well-being of Muslim women,” it added.
The statement by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry comes a day after the country's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a tweet claimed that India’s actions of depriving Muslim girls of education are a grave violation of fundamental human rights.
“Depriving Muslim girls of education is a grave violation of fundamental human rights. To deny anyone this fundamental right and terrorise them for wearing a hijab is oppressive. The world must realize this is part of Indian state plan of ghettoisation of Muslims”, Qureshi tweeted on February 9.
