Washington: Reacting to ongoing Hijab controversy in India’s Kartanka, the U.S Office of International Religious Freedom (IRF) on Friday criticised the India government over Muslim students’ demand for wearing hijab on campus.
In a tweet, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for IRF Rashad Hussain said, “Religious freedom includes the ability to choose one’s religious attire. The Indian state of Karnataka should not determine permissibility of religious clothing. Hijab bans in schools violate religious freedom and stigmatize and marginalize women and girls.”
The hijab row erupted after clamour for hijab ban in one government-run college in the coastal town Udupi and later it spreads institutions where girls wearing hijabs were not allowed entry.
Following this, Hindu students wore saffron scarf im the classroom as a counter protest against hijab.