AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi hits out at Pakistan over Karnataka hijab row, says ‘Idhar mat dekho’

The hijab debate in Karnataka is further intensifying, sparking several political reactions from opposition parties as well several political leaders. This time, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has voiced his opinions about the uniform code debate in the state.

Asaduddin Owaisi, while hitting out at Pakistan for issuing a statement about the hijab debate, said that the country should be concerned with its own problems first, rather than trying to lecture India about issues of women’s rights and education.

While addressing a polling rally in Uttar Pradesh, Owaisi said, “Malala was attacked in Pakistan and she had to leave Pakistan. Pakistan constitution doesn’t allow a non-Muslim to become PM. My advice to Pakistan will be idhar mat dekho (don’t look this side). You have many problems in your backyard.”

Owaisi further talked urged Pakistan to resolve its own issues first, saying, “You have many problems in your backyard. Look at that. Look at Baloch. This country is our country. This is our internal affair. Don't put your nose in our problems. Your nose will be hurt.”

This comes after Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had said that India was violating the human rights of Muslim girls amid the current Karnataka hijab controversy erupting in educational institutes.

In a tweet, Qureshi had said, “Depriving Muslim girls of an education is a grave violation of fundamental human rights. To deny anyone this fundamental right and terrorise them for wearing a hijab is absolutely oppressive.”

He had further added, “World must realise this is part of Indian state plan of ghettoisation of Muslim.” Launching an attack on Qureshi, Owaisi had said, “People of Pakistan should worry about their internal conflicts, no need to interfere in our issues.”

The hijab row erupted in Karnataka after the state government banned all sorts of headscarves inside educational institutes, soon after Hindu students protested Muslim girls wearing hijabs inside classrooms. After this, reports of several hijab-wearing students being banned from entering their colleges had emerged in Karnataka.