Al-Qaeda's comment on hijab proves involvement of "unseen hands" behind row: Araga Jnanendra

Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Wednesday said the video statement released by Al-Qaeda chief Ayman Al Zawahiri on the hijab row and praising student Muskaan Khan for standing in defense of headscarf and chanting ‘Allah-hu-Akbar’, proves the involvement of ”unseen hands” behind the row.

He said the Home and Police department officials are keeping a watch on developments and tracking things in this connection.

”We have been saying this from the beginning, and the High Court too during the hijab verdict had suggested the possibility of some unseen hands behind the hijab row…now it is proved, because Al-Qaeda people are now releasing videos,” Jnanendra said in response to a question on Zawahiri praising Muskaan.

”How things are happening, what is the link. All these things are being looked into by the police…they will find out,” he added.

At the peak of the hijab row in February, Muskan Khan, a second-year BCom student in Mandya was heckled by a group of students, wearing saffron shawls, for entering the college with hijab.

As they shouted ”Jai Shri Ram”, Muskan retorted by shouting ”Allah-hu-Akbar.” Following this, college authorities intervened and brought the situation under control. Condemning the statement by a terror group into internal matters, Higher Education Minister C N Ashwath Narayan said, ”action will be taken against organizations and people linked to them”.

He said the state government has not brought any legislation against practices of any community and was only following the law.