Hijab row: Plea before Karnataka High Court alleges controversy creation of toolkit to Islamise India, seeks NIA probe

A petition has been filed before the Karnataka High Court alleging that hijab controversy in the State is a creation of "tool kit" which has plans to create disturbances and anarchy and in the country and bring down the Government in power at the Centre..The petitioner, a Mumbai based lawyer, Ghanshyam Upadhyay has sought a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the ongoing agitation to find out the involvement of radical Islamist organisations in the hijab row."Tool kits" have become very active after 2014, whether in the name of CAA, farmers protest or the hijab controversy, the plea alleged.The hijab controversy appears to do with the islamisation of India, a concept known as "Gazwa-e-Hind" (ultimate conquest of India) and manner in which the petitions were argued in the High Court hints at a sinister design to destabilise India under the garb of hijab, the petitioner claimed.The plea also prayed for declaring that the practice of hijab, burqa or growing of beard etc are not an essential part of Islam and hence, State and institutions are free to prescribe a dress code.The plea stated that after the Government Order (GO) of February 5, 2022, which is under challenge before the High Court and the disturbances in Karnataka have had a spiraling effect not just in the entire country but also in the world, which has led to denting India's image and reputation in the international community. .Further, the GO and the disturbances have created an impression that India is a theocratic State which is seeking to ban wearing of hijab because of the large number of petitioners who are claiming that hijab is an integral part of the religious practice of Islam. .The petition alleged that reports and information in the press suggest involvement of radical Islamist organisations such as PFI, SIO (Student Islamic Organisation), CFI (Campus Front of India), Jamaat-e-Islami which is funded by Saudi Arabian Universities to islamise India and to advance radical Islam in India. .The plea also claimed that wearing of hijab/burqa has posed a serious threat all over the world, which is why several countries have done away with the practice, which reflects gender oppression. Women folk should not be kept in darkness and detained in shackles if India is to be a Vishwaguru, and the government is trying to extricate women from the shackles of religion and practice which are so absurd and against India's culture, heritage, image and reputation, it was contended.