KOPPAL: Amid the raging halal and hijab controversies, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra has said that those who do not respect the Constitution and honour court verdicts should be taught a lesson. The Minister’s comment came as a section of Muslims had called for a statewide bandh against the Karnataka High Court verdict on hijab, which dismissed the petition of Muslim girl students from Udupi Government Girls’ PU College, who wanted hijab to be allowed along with uniform in classrooms.
He said the government has a limited role to play on the issue pertaining to halal, which is left to the wisdom of people. Jnanendra said the ‘Boycott halal food’ campaign is not a law and order situation but something related to faith and sentiments of people. He was participating in the passing out parade of KSRP and IRB police recruits at India Reserve Battalion in Munirabad near Koppal on Thursday.
“There are many people in the state who preach. While one section preaches people to be communal, others preach secularism. Whether these contradictory preachings could be termed as any religion?” he sought to know.
“Secularism is intrinsic with people of Karnataka and let preachers dare and educate people to comply with the law of the land. Politicians are involved in appeasement of people for votes,” he rued. Jnanendra wondered as to why the BJP was blamed by some for the anti-Halal campaign, which is related to faith and sentiments and individual choices.
The Minister also blamed intellectuals for lecturing only the Hindus and not the others. “A day after Ugadi, Hindus celebrate ‘Hosa Todaku’ and cook and eat meat. VHP and Bajrang Dal activists are campaigning and asking people not to eat halal meat. They are also causing confusion in this regard,” he added. Referring to 60 intellectuals writing to the Chief Minister, he termed none of them intelligent enough.