Hijab row a conspiracy to poison young minds: Cong president D K Shivakumar
Mangaluru, Feb 7: The controversy over wearing of hijab in colleges is part of a conspiracy to poison the minds of the young people, Karnataka PCC president D K Shivakumar said on Monday.
Addressing a press meet at the district Congress committee office here, he said the "hijab row is an insult to our country and against the tradition of the land."
He said the coastal region has its own history, culture and human resources and is known as an educational hub.
An attempt is being made to change the tradition and poison young minds by fuelling the hijab row.
He instead of addressing several issues like unemployment and petrol price hike, sensitive issues like hijab-wearing are being raked up by vested interests.
Shivakumar expressed the hope that the students will soon get justice on the hijab issue as all have faith in the constitution.
On Dakshina Kannada district-in-charge Minister V Sunil Kumar's statements on the row, Shivakumar said the minister has the responsibility to abide by the oath taken in the assembly.
Earlier, talking to reporters at the airport here, he alleged the BJP is trying to create unrest among the students and public over the issue. He claimed that the saffron party has been following this line since its inception.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
