Ashoka questions Cong’s silence, suspects ISI role behind hijab row

KEY STORY

• Revenue Minister R Ashoka on Sunday questioned what he called the “silence” of Congress leaders over the ongoing hijab row.   Addressing the media during his ‘grama vasstavya’ (village stay) programme at Kenjooru in Udupi district, Ashoka said that the Congress, being the main opposition party, should have been critical of the government. But instead, its leaders are walking away from a debate on the issue in the Legislature, he thundered.

• “Congress should have discussed whether education of students is hampered. But it is not ready for any kind of discussion. Congress is not able to take a stand on the hijab row. We have taken a stand on the matter … to assert that nation is first than religion. But the Congress fears to talk about the hijab issue because if they do so, people will know its true colour,” he said.

• “The entire student fraternity is disturbed after the hijab issue was taken to the international level. Can the six girls, who started the hijab issue in a government PU college in Udupi, make it an international issue all by themselves? There appears to be a Pakistan ISI link behind the spread of the hijab row. Students at least now should understand that education is important than religion,” he said.

• Ashoka said the divide between KPCC president DK Shivakumar and CLP leader Siddaramaiah is widening by the day.  “Shivakumar wants to show his upmanship by ensuring that only his portraits got displayed during the recent Mekedatu padayatra. He does not even give space for senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi while taking political mileage,” he commented. “Even the ‘Soft Hindutva’ approach is not rescuing the Congress from distress,” Ashoka ridiculed.