Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane has reached out to Maharashtra’s Education Minister Dada Bhuse, urging that students should not be permitted to enter the examination centres for the 10th and 12th Maharashtra Board while wearing a ‘burqa.’
The BJP politician expressed apprehensions over possible instances of cheating.
In a conversation with ANI, he stated, “Our government will not condone politics of appeasement. The regulations that apply to Hindu students should equally apply to Muslim students.”
“Those who wish to wear a burqa or hijab may do so at home, but at the examination centres, they must take their exams like all other students. There have been occurrences of cheating linked to students wearing such attire. We cannot allow this to happen in Maharashtra, which is why I have addressed a letter to the relevant minister,” Nitesh Rane explained.
(Mint could not independently verify the assertion that students implicated in cheating were specifically wearing burqas)
In response to BJP leader Nitesh Rane’s stance, Congress leader Husain Dalwai told ANI, “It should be celebrated that girls are pursuing education, regardless of whether they wear a burqa… Coercive actions are entirely inappropriate… It is illegal to obstruct their right to take exams… This is part of their tradition and should not be infringed upon; they will learn for themselves what is necessary and what is not…”
Burqa Restrictions in India’s Educational Institutions
Karnataka: In February 2022, a ban on hijabs was instituted in schools and colleges, resulting in significant protests from Muslim students advocating for their right to wear religious clothing.
The situation escalated as Hindu students began to hold counter-protests, demanding their own right to wear saffron scarves, complicating the conversation around religious expression in academic settings.
The Karnataka High Court ultimately upheld the ban, concluding that wearing a hijab is not a fundamental religious practice within Islam. This ruling has faced criticism both within India and on an international scale. However, after a change in government in Karnataka, the Congress party adopted a more lenient stance regarding the enforcement of the ban on burqas in educational institutions.
Maharashtra: On August 9, 2024, a ban on burqas, caps, and naqabs was introduced on campus. While the court permitted the prohibition of burqas and naqabs, it emphasized the necessity for a more nuanced consideration of religious attire in educational settings.
