Won't allow Talibanisation, says Nalin Kumar Kateel on Hijab row
Bengaluru, Feb 5: Amid row over wearing Hijab in classrooms in some colleges in Karnataka, the BJP state chief Nalin Kumar Kateel said the state government will not allow 'Talibanisation'.
"There is no scope for such things (wearing Hijab in classrooms). Our government will take stringent action. People have to follow the rules and regulations of the school. We will not allow Talibanisation," he told reporters here.
Asserting that bringing religion to educational institutions was not right, Kateel said what children require is education.
"There is no scope for Hijab or any such thing in the schools. Schools are the temples of 'Sarasvati' (Goddess of knowledge). It is the duty of the students to learn and abide by the regulations of the school," the BJP leader said.
Vijayapura BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal said some people were intentionally demanding permission for wearing Hijab in classrooms.
"Once that demand is fulfilled, they will seek permission to wear Burqa and then to construct mosque inside the school," he alleged.
"The demands will go on. Those who are supporting them are the real traitors."
Yatnal said those behind such movements should be exposed.
The MLA suspected the involvement of some anti-national forces in 'disturbing' the peace in the state.
To a query on Lord Ganesha being worshipped in educational institutions and people entering schools and colleges sporting vermillion on their forehead, Yatnal said, "This is India and our country is founded on the Indian culture. We have already given them Pakistan on the basis of religion for them to wear Hijab."
Protests continued on Saturday as well with Burqa clad women in some parts of the state holding protests including the one in Kalaburagi led by Gulbarga North Congress MLA Kaneez Fathima demanding their right to wear Hijab in classrooms.
Raising slogans like 'We want justice' and 'Gundagardi Nahi Chalegi' (Hooliganism will not be tolerated), burqa-clad Muslim students and others holding placards and banners staged demonstration in the district headquarters town of Kalaburagi.
The MLA said she would raise the matter in the Karnataka assembly demanding permission for Hijab in the classrooms.
In Udupi too, a similar demonstration took place where students came to the campus wearing Burqa and sought permission for Hijab.
Protesting against wearing Hijabs inside the classroom, Hindu boys and girls started coming to some schools and colleges wearing saffron scarves.
The Karnataka government had on Friday asked educational institutions to follow existing uniform related rules, until the High Court comes out with an order in this connection.
With the issue snowballing into a major controversy, spreading to other educational institutions, and the matter coming up before the High Court, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had held a meeting with Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh and top government officials.
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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.
