Hijab row: Everyone has right to wear what they want, says MV Govindan

Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretary MV Govindan has dismissed the controversial `Hijab’ statement made by party state council member K Anil Kumar. 

Anil had stirred controversy surrounding the wearing of Hijabs, by claiming that the influence of the CPM rule has rather empowered a few Muslim women in Malappuram to ‘say no’ to Hijab. Prominent CPM leaders including KT Jaleel, MP AM Ariff, and leaders of both Samastha had condemned the unthoughtful comment made by Anil.

“To dress according to your will is a constitutional right. As a result, Anil’s statement is in contradiction to the party’s stand on the practice of wearing Hijabs. There is no need for anyone to interfere into someone else's choice of dressing. CPM, as a party, will never interfere into such rights of citizens. It should be noted that, whenever the discussion on Hijab had come to the fore in the past, both the state and the national leadership of CPM had upheld it as a purely individual right. I don’t think a Muslim woman’s choice of dressing is something that has to be taken up for discussion in the court,” said Govindan.