Congress mindset behind hijab row: Nalin Kateel

Alleging that the mindset behind the hijab row is that of the Congress, Karnataka BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel on Thursday said as part of the grand old party’s ‘toolkit’, an attempt is on to create a wrong impression about India at the world stage.

He also hit out at the Congress’ state President D K Shivakumar, accusing him of spreading lies and inciting people.

”As part of the Congress’ toolkit, an attempt is on to create a wrong impression about India at the world stage. It is part of a systematic conspiracy to disturb communal harmony,” Kateel said in a video statement.

”For political reasons and due to selfish motives, the Congress is trying to undermine India’s dignity before the world,” he said, adding that the mindset behind the hijab row is Congress’ and it is ‘dangerous.’ The Member of Parliament from Dakshina Kannada was reacting to Shivakumar’s claims that students hoisted saffron flag by replacing the tricolour at the Government First Grade College in Shivamogga, during an anti-hijab protest on Tuesday.

Accusing Shivakumar of trying to mislead the people of the state, Kateel said, ”it is a continuation of their toolkit and his statement that the national tricolour flag was lowered to hoist the saffron flag is far from the truth.” The saffron flag was hoisted on an empty flagpole and not by lowering the national flag, he said.

Shivamogga college authorities and police officials too have clarified that the national flag was not lowered to put up a saffron flag.

Further reminding that the BJP has sacrificed to hoist the national fag at the Kashmir’s Lal Chowk and at Hubballi’s Eidgah maidan, Kateel said, ”There was a time during the Congress’ rule, when it was impossible to hoist the national flag at the Eidgah maidan and Kashmir, for years they have followed divide and rule policy and had incited communal feeling.”