'Wear what you like'; Siddaramaiah government withdraws hijab ban order

MYSURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced that the hijab ban will be lifted in the state. He said that no such ban exists in the state and women are free to wear whatever they like.

Speaking at a function in Mysore, the Karnataka Chief Minister said there was no obstacle preventing women from going anywhere they want wearing hijab. He said that his government has given instructions to withdraw the order banning hijab.

"What you want to wear and what to eat is your choice. What right do I have to stop it? You eat what you like. I eat what I like. I wear a dhoti, you wear pants and a shirt, and what's wrong with that?" Siddaramiah asked.

It was the previous BJP government that issued an order banning hijabs in schools and colleges in the state. Although some female students had approached the Karnataka High Court demanding the withdrawal of the order, they did not get a favourable verdict from the court.

Later, the Supreme Court delivered a split verdict on the matter. While one judge affirmed that the state government was authorised to enforce uniform in schools, the other called hijab a matter of choice that cannot be stifled by the state.