Summary: Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane stated that the administration will not tolerate appeasement politics. He argued that the norms that apply to Hindu students should equally apply to Muslim pupils.
Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane has written to Maharashtra Education Minister Dada Bhuse, urging that no student wearing a ‘burqa’ be permitted to enter the Maharashtra Board test centres.
The BJP leader expressed alarm about potential cheating.
Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane told ANI, “Our government will not tolerate appeasement politics.” “The rules that apply to Hindu students should also apply to Muslim students.”
“Those who choose to wear a burqa or hijab can do so at home, but in test centers, they must write their exams among other students. There have been reports of cheating and copying among pupils wearing burqas. All of this should not be happening in Maharashtra, so I have submitted a letter to the appropriate minister,” Nitesh Rane said.
Countering BJP legislator Nitesh Rane’s move, Congress leader Husain Dalwai told ANI, “The fact that the females are studying should be applauded, regardless of whether they wear Burqas or not… Forceful behaviour is completely unacceptable… It is against the law to impede their ability to conduct examinations… Their traditions should not be infringed; instead, they will learn for themselves what is required and what is not.”
India’s educational institutions have banned the burqa.
Karnataka: In February 2022, the Karnataka government banned hijabs in schools and colleges, sparking major protests among Muslim students demanding the freedom to wear religious garb.
When Hindu students began mounting counter-protests, demanding the right to wear saffron scarves, the debate over religious expression in schools became even more complicated.
The Karnataka High Court finally upheld the ban, stating that wearing the headscarf is not a necessary religious practice in Islam. The decision has sparked criticism both domestically and internationally. However, when the administration in Karnataka changed, the Congress downplayed the severity of the ban on burqas in the state’s educational institutions.
Maharashtra: On August 9, 2024, the Supreme Court halted a Mumbai college’s decision prohibiting students from wearing hijabs, burqas, hats, or naqabs on campus. While the court upheld the prohibition on burqas and naqabs, it emphasized the need for a more nuanced approach to religious dress in educational settings.
