Bar body writes to PM, seeking students wear school uniforms across country

New Delhi, Feb 11: A bar body has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that students across the country wear school uniforms and not hijab or burqa as it is not permitted in "general secular institutions".

All India Bar Association claimed that "anti social elements" were trying to spoil secular values in educational institutions by misguiding Muslim students to wear Niqab, Hijab, Burqa etc. in place of prescribed "secular dress code" of the educational institutions.

The letter said that the management of religious educational institutions were empowered to run their institutes as per the tenets of their religion.

"The management of Madarsas, therefore can prescribe any religious dress code for the students, including Hijab and Niqab," association's chairman Adish C Aggarwala said.

He added that "Niqab and Hijab are permitted in Muslim Madarsas and not in general secular educational institutions." It claimed that the citizens of India are entitled to have the right to follow their religious practices in their religious places and not in the secular places where a dress code is prescribed.

"In these circumstances, we call upon the central government and state governments to ensure that all students, irrespective of any religion, wear the school uniform, in order to uphold secular values in India as India is a secular country," the letter said.