Bengaluru: The Karnataka Cabinet has decided to withdraw charges against leaders of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), including Zahiruddin Ansari, who were accused of orchestrating a procession in opposition to the hijab ban in educational institutions during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Legal actions were initiated against AIMIM leaders under Epidemic Diseases Act for orchestrating a procession titled ‘Hijab is our right’ in Aland city, in Kalaburagi district.
This decision has generated controversy, especially in light of the state’s unwillingness to dismiss cases against Hindu students from Harihara in the Davangere district, despite a subcommittee’s suggestion for such withdrawal. The students, among them BCom students Dhanush and Maruthi, have been charged with unlawful assembly, rioting, and the act of disrobing Muslim girls’ hijabs during a protest against the hijab policy at a local college.
Meanwhile, supporters of the government claim the decisions were made based on the nature and severity of each case, rather than any bias.
