Karnataka hijab row: Footballer Paul Pogba claims harassment of Muslim girls

French footballer and Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is the latest celebrity to jump into the Karnataka hijab controversy. Pogba shared a 57-second-long video featuring a group of girls being targeted by a mob in his recent Instagram story along with the caption, “Hindutva mobs continue to harass Muslim girls wearing hijab to college in India”.

Pogba is the second international celebrity to comment on this issue after Malala Yousufzai expressed her concerns and urged leaders to stop marginalising Muslim women. The Nobel Peace Prize winner said, “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.”

Meanwhile, Karnataka students’ plea challenging the Karnataka government’s rule on dress code is schools and colleges will be mentioned before the Supreme Court of India for urgent hearing. The top court had refused to list this plea urgently on Thursday evening.
 
The three-judge bench of the Karnataka High Court which heard the Hijab issue on Thursday urged students to not insist on wearing any cloth which can instigate people on campuses of educational institutions till the matter is resolved. “We will pass an order. Let the schools and colleges start. But till the matter is resolved, no student should insist on wearing religious dress,” Justice CJ Awasthi of the Karnataka High Court noted.
 
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai also said that outside elements should not provoke people and lead to law and order problems while urging people to observe self-restraint. “Let us not speak anything about the dress code that would disturb peace in schools and colleges. Let us impose self-restraint to maintain peace and harmony,” Bommai said.

Also read: Hijab row: HC asks students not to insist on wearing 'religious things' till matter is resolved

Also read: Hijab row: Karnataka to reopen schools for classes up to 10th std from Monday

Also read:  Hijab row: Pakistan summons India's Charge d'Affaires