Hijab row: Bommai appeals to everyone to maintain peace, restrain from making provocative statements
New Delhi, Feb 8: As the hijab row intensified further in Karnataka, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday appealed to the Opposition and the people concerned not to escalate the situation by making "provocative" statements and to wait for the High Court order.
The state government is going by the law on dress code and the same stand has been put before the court, he said.
"Let's wait for the judiciary's decision and we will abide by whatever it says," he added.
The chief minister also said that the Karnataka government has declared a holiday in high schools and colleges in the state for the next three days in order to maintain law and order.
Replying to queries from reporters here, Bommai said there were some disturbances in a few places and appealed for peace and harmony.
"I appeal to students to maintain peace and there is no occasion for any clashes.
"I appeal to teachers to ensure peace is maintained. I am asking concerned people not to make provocative statements and aggravate the situation because it is a very sensitive issue as far as students are concerned," he said.
Students have to sit together and do academic activities. Therefore, peace and harmony should be maintained, he said and asked teachers and management of schools and colleges to maintain peace.
Tension had prevailed at some educational institutions in Udupi, Shivamogga, Bagalkote and other parts of the state as they were rocked by protests for and against hijab today, forcing the police and administration to intervene.
The Karnataka High Court today heard petitions filed by five girls studying in a Government Pre-university College in Udupi, questioning hijab restriction in college and the matter has been posted for Wednesday.
The protest over dress code started in one school and has spread to other districts.
"It is very unfortunate. The matter is seized by the High Court. As I speak now, the High Court proceedings on this matter are going on. ...We are waiting for the directions from the court," he said.
Similar situations were witnessed in other states and different high courts have given different judgements. "Our matter is also in the HC," he said.
As far as the legality of the whole issue is concerned, the state government has put its case clearly as per the Karnataka Education Act, he said and added: "Let us wait for the direction from the High Court, till that time the peace needs to be maintained. I appeal to everyone."
On opposition parties in Parliament raising the hijab row and accusing the BJP of polarisation, the CM said, "These are all allegations and do not have any ground."
Proper education has to be given to students in the state. The state government is going by the law on dress code and the same stand has been put before the court, he said.
Bommai, on the second day of his visit to the national capital, met Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal and requested him to give production-linked incentives for toy and FMCG industries in the state.
He also spoke to BJP National President J P Nadda over the phone over the state issue. "Naddaji has said he will speak to me after two days," he added.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
