R Ashoka Accuses Congress of Reviving Hijab Issue for Vote Bank Politics

Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of bringing back the hijab issue to pacify what he described as growing dissatisfaction among minority communities following the Davanagere by election.

In a post shared on X on Wednesday, Ashoka criticised the state government for allegedly focusing on sensitive identity based issues instead of addressing public concerns such as rising prices, corruption, farmers’ problems, and law and order challenges.

Referring to the dress code policy introduced by the previous BJP government in 2022, Ashoka said the rule banning hijab in schools and colleges had been upheld by the Karnataka High Court. He stated that the court had recognised the importance of maintaining discipline and uniformity in educational institutions.

Ashoka questioned the Congress government’s intention to revisit the matter and asked whether changing a policy supported by the court in favour of one particular community could be considered secularism.

He also alleged that while the government appeared willing to permit hijab in educational institutions, saffron shawls continued to remain prohibited.

According to Ashoka, schools and colleges should function as spaces where all students are treated equally, without religious divisions. He accused the government of encouraging separation among students based on faith.

Drawing a comparison with the government led by Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal, the BJP leader claimed that excessive appeasement politics had negatively affected the state politically and socially.

He warned that the Congress government in Karnataka could face a similar reaction from voters and alleged that the party was engaging in “vote bank politics” while compromising constitutional and judicial principles.