The ongoing Karnataka hijab row has sparked opinions from politicians to actors across the nation. Sonam Kapoor, known for voicing her strong views, had shared a picture on her Instagram Stories of a man in a turban and a woman in a hijab questioning why a turban be a choice but a hijab can't. BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa had slammed the actress for comparing a turban with a hijab in a couple of tweets on his Twitter handle.
Sharing the picture of Sonam's Instagram post, Sira tweeted, "Dastar or “Dast-e-Yar” means“the hand of God”. It is not a choice but a blessing of Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji & an integral part of Sikhs’ identity. Comparing Dastar & Hijab are unjustified & unwanted in this context."
The BJP member, in another tweet, asked the 'Padman' actress to not indulge in a 'veiled attack' as he wrote, "You make a choice @sonamakapoor. Don’t indulge in a veiled attack! Turban is inseparable for a Sikh and will always be! Sikhs’ fight against the tyranny is going on since 17th century and will continue."
Earlier, Sirsa had also lashed out on the Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate had shared a report on the hijab controversy in Karnataka tweeting “Refusing to let girls go to school in their hijabs is horrifying. Objectification of women persists — for wearing less or more. Indian leaders must stop the marginalisation of Muslim women.” The BJP leader had then tweeted, "Strange! @Malala never spoke on other significant issues like forced conversion of minor Hindu Sikh girls in Pakistan but today she is tweeting without verifying facts!!"
For the unversed, the whole controversy had erupted after the Karnataka government on February 5 had issued an order mandating a dress code in all schools and colleges, with a ban on clothes that "disturb equality, integrity and public law and order".
