'Let Them Live The Way They Choose To': Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu On Hijab Issue

In a clip that has gone viral on social media from an event held in Mumbai on March 17 in honour of Miss Universe’s homecoming, a reporter asked Harnaaz about her views on the Hijab issue. 

Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu | Getty Images

New Delhi: Miss Universe 2021, Harnaaz Sandhu expressed her anguish over the controversy around Hijab and appealed to the society to stop targeting girls, including on the issue of Hijab, reported news agency PTI. 

In a clip that has gone viral on social media from an event held in Mumbai on March 17 in honour of Miss Universe’s homecoming, a reporter asked Harnaaz about her views on the Hijab issue. 

Before she responded, an organiser intervened and asked the reporter to abstain from asking any political questions and suggested the media should rather ask about her journey, success and how she has been a source of inspiration.

The reporter responded saying “Let Harnaaz say the same things.” The model then expressed her anguish over how often girls are targeted in society.

“Honestly, why do you always target girls? Even now you are targeting me. Like, even on the issue of hijab the girls are being targeted. Let them (girls) live the way they choose to, let her reach her destination, let her fly, those are her wings, don’t cut them, if you must (cut someone’s wings) cut your own,” said the Chandigarh-based model. 

She further asked the reporter to ask her about her journey, the hurdles that she faced, and the success at the beauty pageant earlier this year.

Recently a three-judge Bench of the Karnataka High Court dismissed a petition, seeking permission to wear hijab in classrooms of educational institutions, saying that headscarf is not an essential religious practice and uniform dress rule should be followed in educational institutions where it has been prescribed.

Similarly, the Vice Chancellor of Harisingh Gour University in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar ordered a probe after a right wing outfit submitted a complaint that a hijab-clad student was offering namaz inside the classroom.