Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Karnataka Leader of the Opposition, R. Ashoka, on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Congress-led state government over its decision to withdraw the 2022 school uniform order and permit limited traditional and faith-based relihious symbols, including hijab, in schools and colleges.
In a strongly worded statement, Ashoka alleged that the Congress government had revived the hijab issue as part of a "desperate appeasement strategy" following the Davanagere bypoll fallout and growing dissatisfaction among minority voters.
Calling the move "damage control" aimed at protecting the Congress' vote bank, the BJP leader accused the Siddaramaiah government of resorting to divisive politics instead of addressing governance failures.
"The Congress government, rattled by the fallout of the Davanagere bypolls and growing anger within its minority voter base, has once again resorted to its old divisive playbook," Ashoka said.
He alleged that while Karnataka was facing issues such as rising prices, corruption, farmer suicides and deteriorating law and order, the state government was focusing on religious issues for political gains.
"This is not about rights. It is a calculated political bribe to appease a specific community that has recently shown its discontent," he charged.
Ashoka also criticised the state government for allegedly disregarding judicial pronouncements on the issue.
Referring to the 2022 Karnataka High Court judgment that upheld the uniform dress code in educational institutions, he said the Congress government was showing "utter contempt" for the Judiciary by reversing the earlier court order.
"The High Court had emphasised that educational institutions must remain centres of discipline and equality rather than arenas for religious display," Ashoka added.
The BJP leader also accused the Congress government of practising "selective secularism", alleging discrimination in permitting hijab while opposing saffron shawls in educational institutions.
"Under this (Karnataka) regime, the hijab is given a green signal under the guise of freedom, while the saffron shawl is met with an immediate ban," he alleged.
Ashoka claimed the Congress government was pursuing "minority appeasement" politics similar to that seen in West Bengal under the previous Trinamool Congress government and warned that such policies could damage social harmony.
"By turning schools into laboratories of religious division, the Congress is gambling with the future of students for a few extra votes," he said.
He asserted that the people of Karnataka were closely observing what he termed as the government's "selective secularism" and warned that "divisive appeasement politics" would face rejection from voters.
The Karnataka government on Tuesday withdrew its February 5, 2022, school uniform order and issued fresh guidelines allowing students to wear limited traditional and faith-based symbols such as hijab, turbans, sacred threads and Rudraksha along with prescribed uniforms in schools and colleges across the state.