New Delhi: Shiv Sena on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to follow Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena’s footsteps and ban burqas and other face-covering garments in India considering the “threat it poses” to the nation’s security.
Referring to Sri Lanka’s recent decision to issue a decree to ban burqas and other veils in light of the Easter Sunday attacks, an editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana welcomed the move and demanded that it be enforced in India too.
“It has happened in Raavan's Lanka. When will it happen in Ram's Ayodhya? We ask this question to the PM as he is scheduled to visit Ayodhya on Wednesday,” read the editorial.
To bolster its call for the ban, Sena also cited examples of France, Australia and Britain, where it said the governments have made face covering illegal.
The Sena’s proposal, however, was immediate rejected by another NDA ally, union minister Ramdas Athawale of the Republican Party of India, who said that burqa should not be banned.
“It is not right to say that all burqa wearing Muslims are terrorists, but there are people who misuse the burqa and they should be punished. There should be no such ban on burqa in India or Maharashtra. It’s a part of their (Muslims) tradition,” he told News18.
On Monday, right-wing fringe group Hindu Sena had written to the Home Ministry, demanding a complete ban on face covers, burqa and niqab at public places and government and private institutions on the lines of Sri Lanka to prevent terror attacks.
"Please impose a ban on full face covers and dresses like burqa and niqab at all public places and inside government and private institutions. These kind of head coverings enable terrorists to hide their identity from CCTV cameras and other surveillance measures in place. Sri Lanka has already implemented this policy," the group’s chief Vishnu Gupta had said.
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