New Delhi: Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane has ignited a firestorm of controversy by urging a ban on burqas at 10th and 12th standard Maharashtra Board examination centres. In a letter to Maharashtra Education Minister Dada Bhuse, Rane, a BJP leader, cited concerns about potential cheating as the rationale behind the proposed ban.
Speaking to ANI, Rane asserted that the government would not tolerate “appeasement politics.” He emphasized that all students, irrespective of religion, should adhere to the same examination rules. “Our government will not tolerate the politics of appeasement. The rules that are applicable to Hindu students, the same should apply to Muslim students as well.”
Rane stated that while students are free to wear burqas or hijabs at home, they must remove them during exams to ensure fairness and prevent cheating. He underscored his belief that such a measure is necessary to maintain the integrity of the examinations within Maharashtra.
“Those who want to wear a burqa or hijab can wear it at their homes but at the examination centres, they should write their exams like other students. There have been incidents of cheating and copying in the cases where students were wearing a burqa. All this should not happen in Maharashtra, so I have written a letter to the concerned minister.”, Rane was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
This move comes against the backdrop of several high-profile legal battles surrounding religious attire in educational settings. In August 2024, the Supreme Court of India stayed a Mumbai private college’s ban on hijabs, caps, and badges on campus, following a petition by Muslim students. This case highlighted ongoing tensions concerning religious expression in educational institutions.
