India is all set to witness state elections in multiple states including UP, Punjab, Goa, and more. While most of the parties have launched their manifesto, the promises by the political parties ahead of the elections have lost their relevance. Karnataka's Hijab row has started to spread pan India and even attracted global attention when Pakistani activist and Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai joined the Hijab row debate. Amidst crest and trough over the Hijab row, India's former allrounder Irfan Pathan shared a cryptic message on his Twitter handle.
Irfan Pathan took to his Twitter handle and in a sarcastic way asked whether elections are on their way. 'Election is on the way??," wrote Irfan Pathan. Notably, Irfan Pathan has been slammed in the past by a certain section of society on social media. In 2017, Irfan was criticised by many on Instagram as well as on his Facebook page, after he posted a photograph with his wife who can be seen wearing nail polish. Again, Irfan and his wife Safa Baig were trolled for attending Prince Narula's wedding in Burqa. They were termed 'conservative' on social media.
About Hijab Row
Also Read: Malala Yousafzai joins Hijab row; asks 'Indian leaders' to 'stop marginalisation of Muslim women'
In December 2021, four students belonging to a particular community were denied entry into the classroom for wearing hijab (headscarf). The students accused the Principal of the pre-university college of taking such a step and also claimed that they were made to sit outside of the classroom at the stairs and even marked them absent. However, the Principal denied the claims of the students and had stated that the students made the allegations under the influence of some vested interest groups. After the row over Hijab intensified and students from another section started protesting wearing a saffron scarf, Karnataka Education Minister BC Nagesh had emphasized the need for a uniform dress code in order to avoid such incidents in the future.
After months of protest, a petition was filed by students of the Government Pre-University College for Girls, Udupi, demanding permission to attend classes while wearing 'hijab'. On February 8, the Karnataka High Court was adjourned, to Wednesday in the Hijab row case. The single bench of Justice Krishna S. Dixit also requested the student community to maintain peace in the state.
Meanwhile, considering the volatile situation in the state against the backdrop of the hijab crisis, the Karnataka government declared a three-day holiday for schools and colleges starting from Wednesday. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai requested the students to wait until the court order and not to get provoked.