Congress cautious, some Opposition parties slam decision, many silent

Some opposition parties were critical of the verdict, while many chose to remain silent.

Wary of a backlash, the Congress said “everyone should wait” for the Supreme Court verdict. The party’s communication department head Randeep Surjewala said the onus of ensuring education of the girl child, along with peace and harmony in the educational institutions is on the Karnataka BJP government. “The issue is pending in Supreme Court and everyone should wait for the verdict,” he said.

But there were some different views within the party. Senior Congress leader and former Law Minister Salman Khurshid told The Indian Express that if the court has ruled that hijab is not an essential part of Islam, then “amongst scholars of law, this kind of decision making by courts has always been somewhat questionable”.

“It’s not just the ‘essential part of Islam’ aspect. There are other things in the Constitution which are about choice, autonomy, dignity,” he added.

The CPM said the judgment was a “blow against the universal right to education without discrimination… (and) may have a dangerous cascading impact”.

CPI general secretary D Raja said: “It needs to be studied. In the meantime, religious fundamentalists should not try to give their own interpretation to create further communal conflict.”

“I just wish that someday, in near future, we must discuss freely and fearlessly about the basics of multi-religious and multi-cultural co-existence,” said RJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha.

National Conference’s Omar Abdullah said: “It’s not about an item of clothing, it’s about the right of a woman to choose how she wants to dress. That the court didn’t uphold this basic right is a travesty,” he said.

Concurred PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti. “On one hand we talk about empowering women yet we are denying them the right to a simple choice. It isn’t just about religion but the freedom to choose,” she said.

AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi said: “It’s time to review the essential religious practice test. For a devout person, everything is essential and for an atheist nothing is essential. It is absurd that judges can decide essentiality.”

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said attempts were being made to sow seeds of poison in the country. “People wear whatever they want to. What does the government have to do with that? Where is this country heading to when such things are blown up,” he said.

Maharashtra School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad said, “Uniforms in school are undoubtedly important. The verdict should be accepted and focus should be shifted to other issues. It was a politically driven issue, considering its timing around elections.”

(Inputs from ENS Hyderabad, Mumbai)