Congress reacts to SC's split verdict on Hijab case; Here's what the grand old party said
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court's split verdict in the hijab case means the matter will continue to attract the apex court's attention, the Congress said on Thursday. And the Bharat Jodo Yatra, it added, will keep demanding accountability from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on issues such as economic inequality.
The Supreme Court delivered a split verdict on the ban on hijabs in Karnataka's educational institutions and referred the matter to the chief justice of India for constituting a larger bench.
"The Supreme Court's split verdict in the hijab case means that the matter will continue to attract that court's attention. Meanwhile, the Bharat Jodo Yatra will continue to demand accountability from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on rising economic inequality, social polarisation and political dictatorship," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet in Hindi.
While Justice Hemant Gupta dismissed the appeals against the March 15 verdict of the Karnataka High Court that had refused to lift the ban and held that the hijab is not part of "essential religious practice" in Islamic faith, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia allowed the pleas and observed that it is ultimately a "matter of choice".
In view of the split verdict, the bench directed that the appeals against the high court verdict be placed before the CJI for constituting an appropriate larger bench.
The Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatri started on September 7 with Rahul Gandhi along with several Congress leaders walking as 'Bharat Yatris' who will complete the 3,570 km journey from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.
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Steel mirrors deployed in Mysuru to discourage public urination
Mysuru (PTI): Fed up with people relieving themselves along roadsides, the Mysuru City Corporation has adopted a unique strategy to curb the practice and promote civic sense by installing reflective steel mirrors along pavements, officials said on Friday.
In what officials described as a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Corporation installed stainless steel sheets with a mirror finish along an 80-metre stretch opposite the Mysuru Suburban Bus Stand.
Officials said the reflective sheets are intended to confront anyone attempting to urinate in public with their own reflection, thereby discouraging the act psychologically.
“The idea is to maintain cleanliness and hygiene, prevent public nuisance, and promote civic sense. It is a simple yet psychological approach that encourages self-awareness through reflection,” officials added.
Soon after the mirrors were installed, videos of the initiative went viral on social media, with many people appreciating the administration’s innovative attempt to address public urination. At the same time, some users pointed out the lack of basic civic sense among people.
Several social media users also suggested that more public toilets, maintained in a hygienic condition, were needed to further discourage open urination.
Explaining how the idea originated, Nitesh Patil, Administrator and Regional Commissioner of the Mysuru City Corporation, told PTI that despite a public toilet being located next to the bus stand, many people continued to urinate in the open.
Even fines and warnings failed to deter them from relieving themselves against vacant compound walls, leaving behind a foul smell.
“One of our engineers came up with this idea, and we decided to implement it. The initiative has received a very positive response from the public, social media, and the press. We are now planning to identify more such locations in the city and install similar reflectors,” he said.
According to him, to ensure that the installation is both effective and visually appealing, LED lighting that switches on along with the streetlights has also been added, causing the stretch to glow at night and enhancing the city’s appearance.
Patil said the initiative had helped create civic awareness while also beautifying the city.
“We want our city to be clean and hygienic. We aspire to become the cleanest city in the country,” he added, recalling that Mysuru secured third place nationally in the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2024–25 last year.
