Manchester United superstar Paul Pogba has waded into Karnataka’s Hijab row as the French footballer shared a video story about the Hindutva mobs’ attack on Muslim students on Thursday.
The 2018 World Cup winner with the France football team took on Instagram to extend his solidarity with Muslim students of Karnataka who are protesting against the repressive administration move to ban the headscarf in the classroom.
One of the most influential footballers of the era, Pogba shared a video alleging the ‘Hindutva mob of harassing Muslim girls wearing Hijab to college in India’ on Instagram stories.
The former Juventus playmaker, who has over 51 million followers on Instagram, shared a video of the ongoing Hijab issue that created a tense situation across many schools in Karnataka.
The intervention of the popular Muslim footballer draws international attention to the ongoing protests.
Pogba’s solidarity has invited the wrath of a section of India’s right-wing netizens as the playmaker and his club Man United has a huge fan base in the country. The player has got the support of the fans as well after his position in the ongoing issue.
Two days ago, Nobel laureate and women’s rights activist Malala Yousafzai expressed concern about Muslim students in Karnataka not being allowed to attend classes while wearing hijabs.
Yousafzai urged Indian leaders to stop the “marginalisation of Muslim women.”
Over the past few weeks, Hindu students and Hindutva mobs have protested against Muslim women wearing hijabs to college at several places in Karnataka.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed students not to wear “religious clothes” till an order is passed on the matter of whether students should be allowed to cover their heads in hijabs in educational institutions.
“We will pass an order that lets the [educational] institutions start… But till the matter is pending here, no student should insist on wearing religious dress. We will restrain everyone from adopting religious practices while we are hearing…” Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi said.
Senior Advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for the petitioners, objected to the court’s directions, saying that it amounted to the suspension of the petitioners’ rights.
“What your lordships are saying, that would amount to a suspension of Article 25,” Kamat said. “We are told to choose between food and water and both are essential,” he argued.
Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde, also appearing for Muslim girls, told the court that “for few days we cannot be asked to suspend our faith.”
Hegde sought an interim verdict from the court to allow the women to attend classes while wearing hijabs.
With inputs from Footy Times.
