Ajmer dargah spiritual head Zainul Abedin Ali Khan on Monday said wearing a hijab or headscarf is a religious and constitutional right of Muslim women, and there should not be any kind of restriction in it.
Referring to a hijab row in Karnataka colleges, he said students of all religions have full freedom to use symbols of their faith and the ban on wearing hijab in colleges is not only a challenge to their constitutional right but also a move to create a communal atmosphere in the country.
Speaking at an event held to mark the Urs of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chisti in the presence of religious heads of various shrines from the country, he said those who give provocative and divisive speeches should be punished according to the law without any exception.
He called upon political parties and their leaders to refrain from spreading hatred and pitting one section of society against another.
He said legislative steps, including amendments to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Code of Criminal Procedure, need to be taken to effectively deal with all forms of hate speech, a release said.
“We have to understand that development and success in the world is not achieved by weapons and terrorism but by hard work and dedication,” he said.
Khan said to stop communal violence, collective efforts are needed in the country.
