Karnataka Minister allows Ganesh Chaturthi celebration in schools; CFI demands resignation

Barely months after the hijab ban in schools caused a stir in Karnataka, State Education Minister BC Nagesh has given a green signal to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi festival in schools and called it a non-religious event that brings society together. Making the announcement on Thursday, Nagesh claimed that the event was being held in schools even before Independence.

“Schools have complete freedom to celebrate Ganesh Chaturti this year and they can continue to do so just like every year,” Nagesh said in a press conference in Bengaluru.

This statement has been criticised and linked to the recent High Court judgment in the hijab case, which prohibited all religious symbols, including hijabs and saffron shawls, from being worn inside classrooms. Nagesh said that educational institutions which held Ganesha festivals earlier can continue to do so, but denied permission for other religious activities in schools.

CFI demands Karnataka education minister's resignation

The Campus Front of India, the student wing of the radical outfit Popular Front of India (PFI), strongly condemned the minister's "unilateral biased statement" and demanded his resignation. "Education Minister should focus on the development of quality education and infrastructure, not on Communal policies and statements," the CFI said in a tweet on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Wakf Board has demanded permission to observe Eid Milad, Friday namaz, and activities related to Christians, in line with the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. However, the minister flatly turned down the Wakf Board’s request to allow namaz or other religious activities.

Hijab row in Karnataka

BC Nagesh has drawn criticism for his “hypocritical” statement, given the government’s opposition to wearing the hijab in classrooms.

The hijab row began in December last year when six students of a government girls’ college in Karnataka's Udupi district protested against the ban on the hijab - headscarf worn by Muslim women. In February, the government issued an order prohibiting headscarves and other religious attire on the school campus.

On March 15, a three-judge bench of the Karnataka HC dismissed the petitions filed by a group of Muslim students and held that the prescription of uniforms was a reasonable and constitutionally permissible restriction that students cannot object to. An appeal against the order is pending in the Supreme Court.