Amid raging controversy over hijab or headscarf in Karnataka, Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar  said that his party respect everyone’s religious sentiments and do not interfere in anyone’s way of practicing religion or culture.

Kumar, whose party shares power with BJP in Bihar, said that it is not an issue in his state where religious sentiments are respected.

“If someone puts something on the head in a classroom, there is no need to comment on it. This is not an issue in Bihar, we should not focus on such things…. It’s useless. The matter has gone to court,” Kumar told reporters at a programme.

“In Bihar schools, children wear almost the same type of dress. If someone puts something on the head, there is no need to comment on it. We do not interfere in such matters. We respect religious sentiments of each other,” he said in his public outreach programme, ‘Janata Ke Darbaar Mein Mukhyamantri’.

The Chief Minister further said everybody is equal for the state government.

The controversy over hijab in BJP-ruled Karnataka triggered a few weeks back after a few girl students in hijabs were not allowed to enter a government pre-university college in Udupi. In reaction, some Hindu students began wearing saffron scarves in the college.

The incident led to widespread protests for and against the hijab in various parts of the state, which also turned violent in some places

Following the incident, the state government in an order said that students at schools and pre-university colleges across the state should only follow the uniforms prescribed by it or the management of private institutions.

The Karnataka High Court has restrained all students from wearing any sort of religious dress within the classroom in the state, regardless of their religion or faith, until further orders on pleas challenging the ban in educational institutions with a dress code.