Mayawati urges local resolution of hijab disputes, warns against ‘narrow politics’

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Wednesday called for disputes over wearing the hijab in schools to be resolved locally through dialogue, warning that such sensitive issues should not be exploited for “narrow politics”.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said the Constitution, framed under the leadership of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, guarantees equal rights to people from every religion and community.

In a post on X, Mayawati said everyone had the right to live peacefully in accordance with the scriptures, customs and beliefs of their respective faiths. She urged people to respect the sanctity of religious practices and refrain from making comments that could hurt religious sentiments.

Referring specifically to the wearing of the hijab in schools, the BSP leader said such questions should be settled through mutual understanding among school managements, the government and the local administration.

“Instead of giving these matters undue importance and turning them into legal disputes in courts, they should be resolved at the local level through mutual understanding and wisdom between school management and the government and administration,” she said.

Mayawati maintained that resolving such disputes through dialogue would prevent political groups from exploiting them for narrow interests.

She described the BSP as an Ambedkarite party committed to ensuring respect for all sections of society and protecting their lives, property and religious rights.

Her comments came days after the Allahabad High Court dismissed a petition filed by a minor student at a private school in Prayagraj seeking permission to wear a hijab along with the prescribed uniform.

The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board has indicated that it may challenge the ruling. Board member and cleric Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali said the hijab had always been an integral part of Islam and that the organisation would approach the court to present its case.

Mayawati also appealed to the Uttar Pradesh government and the local administration to find an immediate and peaceful solution to tensions in Budaun over the installation of a statue of Ambedkar.

The dispute escalated into stone-pelting on Tuesday evening, leaving seven police personnel and a villager injured. More than 10 vehicles were damaged, while seven people were detained for questioning.

The administration said the statue had been installed on restricted government land. It was subsequently moved to the tehsil complex.

With PTI inputs