Wearing hijab in public won't be tolerated, says BJP MP Pragya Thakur

BJP MP Pragya Thakur warned women against wearing hijab in public at all, saying it will not be tolerated, amid growing outrage over Muslim students in Karnataka being denied permission to wear head scarves.

Thakur is out on bail as a key accused in the Malegaon blasts terror case -

Pragya Thakur said "there is no need to wear a hijab" because Hindus "worship women" and (in remarks seen as being blatantly communal) continued "(only) people who are not safe in their houses need to wear a hijab".

"No need to wear hijab anywhere. People who are not safe in their houses wear hijab. You have a madrasa. If you wear hijab there we have nothing to do... outside, where there is 'Hindu samaj', they are not required..." she said at an event organised at a temple in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal.

"Hijab is purdah. Purdah should be (used) against those who see you with evil eyes. But it is certain Hindus don't see them with evil eyes as they worship women," she said.

"You should wear hijabs in your homes..."

Controversy over students banned from wearing hijabs in Karnataka classrooms erupted in December after six students in Udupi district challenged the restriction.

The Karnataka High Court is presently hearing a petition from the Udupi students, whose lawyers yesterday pointed out "hundreds of religious symbols - dupattas, bangles, turbans, crosses and bindis" were worn without question every day, but the hijab was targeted on religious grounds.