The Shiv Sena made a controversial demand in its editorial Saamna urging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must ban burqa in public places across the country as it poses a threat to national security.
The Sena has contended that its ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), must follow Sri Lanka’s footsteps and ban burqas across India. The Sri Lankan government had banned burqa, niqab or any kind of face-covering veil across the island nation following the Easter Sunday serial blasts that killed over 250 people.
The Sena said that its not just triple talaq that needs to be banned in India and now burqa should be banned as well. The party in its mouthpiece, asked PM Modi, who is in Ayodhya for an election rally, that if Sri Lanka being the country of Raavan has imposed the ban, then why can’t it be implemented in a country like India, which is the country of Ram.
“This restriction has been recommended as an emergency measure to ensure the security forces do not encounter difficulties in identifying anybody. People wearing face-masks or burqas could pose a threat to national security,” the Sena said in its editorial.
“This work will require as much daring as a ‘surgical strike.’ The Sri Lankan President had done it by overnight banning burqa or veils or face-covers of any types in all public places. This is a work of great courage and restraint exhibited by (Sri Lanka) President Maithripala Sirisena,” lauded the Sena.
It accused that many Muslims have not understood the true meaning of their religion (Islam) and they have confused it with traditions and customs like burqa, polygamy, triple talaq and resistance to family planning, the editorial added.
“When any voice is raised against these practices, immediately there are cries of ‘Islam is in danger’, and it seems religion takes precedence over nationalism among Muslims. Muslim women have been sporting burqas/veils under the wrong impression that it is a Quranic tenet,” the Sena said.
It pointed out that there have been bans on both burqas for women and beards for men even in Muslim countries like Turkey in the past, especially when Kamal Pasha suspected that these were being misused for carrying out anti-national activities, “proving (burqa-beard) are basically not linked with Islam”.
The Sena said the country (Sri Lanka) which has just been liberated from the LTTE’s terror is now in the grip of Islamic terror like India, and others like the UK, France, New Zealand.
But it lamented that the kind of tough measures being adopted by other countries were still lacking here especially since areas like Jammu and Kashmir were being destroyed by the same Islamic terrorists.
On Tuesday, the right-wing fringe group Hindu Sena wrote to the Home Ministry, demanding a complete ban on face covers, burqa and niqab at public places and government and private institutions on the lines of Sri Lanka to prevent terror attacks.
“We request you to immediately formulate policies at both tactical and strategic levels to prevent occurrence of such attacks in India and Indian territories, including embassies and high commissions, all across the world,” the letter read.
“Please impose a ban on full face covers and dresses like burqa and niqab at all public places and inside government and private institutions. These kind of head coverings enable terrorists to hide their identity from CCTV cameras and other surveillance measures in place. Sri Lanka has already implemented this policy,” it said.
