Congress Divided On Hijab Issue: Karnataka Minister R Ashok

Mangaluru, Feb 19 (PTI) The Congress party is divided on the hijab (scarf) issue as the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) D K Shivakumar is not backing the views of Opposition Leader Siddaramaiah on the row, State Revenue Minister R Ashok said on Saturday.

Addressing reporters on the sidelines of a meeting at the zilla panchayat hall here, Ashok said Shivakumar is not allowing Congress leaders to openly say that they are in favour of hijab while Siddaramaiah has a different stance.

Ashok was responding to the Congress's demand for the resignation of K S Eshwarappa for his remarks on saffron flag at the Red Fort.

The Congress is not prepared to raise the hijab issue in the Assembly for discussion and is deviating the attention to Eshwarappa’s comment, Ashok alleged.

The Minister wanted the Congress to come out clear on the issue to enable students to return to colleges. The row over the scarf-wearing is simmering in the State after the hijab-wearing girls led to boys wearing saffron shawls in a pre-university college after the latter said they would continue to wear shawls if the girls attend classes by donning the hijabs.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)