Karnataka: CM Bommai Says Not Surprised With Al-Qaeda Praising Hijab Ban Protester

Bommai also slammed Congress leader Siddaramaiah for his claim that the video of Zawahiri was doctored and was a ‘handiwork’ of RSS.

Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai | PTI

New Delhi: The hijab controversy does not seem to fizzle out as Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said that he was not surprised that Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri praised the college student Muskan Khan who defended her right to wear hijab in the classroom reported news agency PTI. 

Bommai also slammed Congress leader Siddaramaiah who is also the leader of the opposition in the Karnataka legislative assembly for his claim that the video of Zawahiri was doctored and was a ‘handiwork’ of RSS.

“There is nothing to be surprised about. Certain issues are unnecessarily raised by going against the law of land and making an issue out of it. Some forces have been continuously creating chaos and confusion among the masses. As part of it, the Al Qaeda has expressed its views explicitly,” Bommai told reporters.

He further added that he had given instructions to the police to investigate the authenticity of Zawahiri’s video.

Bommai then went on to attack Siddaramaiah saying that his claim on RSS being behind the video is baseless and has no logic. 

“I wonder why Siddaramaiah became restless after Al Qaeda's name cropped up (in the Hijab row). That is the basic question. What is his problem if Al Qaeda's name surfaces?” he further said.

“Where is the terrorist, who is the terrorist? It is the RSS, which sends them (videos). It's all fake. Only these people (RSS functionaries) engineered it. What is there for the Chief Minister to find out when he is armed with intelligence? These intelligence officials brief every day in the morning and evening,” Siddaramahia had said.

Muskan Khan is a second-year BCom student who was heckled by several men in saffron shawls for wearing a hijab to the college during the peak of hijab protests in the country. 

As the men shouted slogans of ‘Jai Shree Ram’, Muskan had responded by shouting ‘Allah-hu-Akbar’.

After the video by the Al-Qaeda chief surfaced, Muskan and her family denied any link with the terror outfit and asserted that they do not need any appreciation from the leader of a terror outfit.