Rahul Gandhi

The Congress’s Rahul Gandhi has asked the party’s leaders from Karnataka not to play into the forces by the BJP in its efforts to divide the state over the issue of hijab.

The state, under the rule of BJP, where the issue of the headwear requirement in schools has emerged as a source of contention, is set to hold elections for the assembly next year.

In a meeting with the party’s top leader from Karnataka—including representatives of the two houses that comprise the state assembly and the state unit chief of the party and other office bearers, Mr. Gandhi requested that they focus on the most critical governance issues.

He said the Bommai administration, he claimed, was unable to deliver on these.

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The Congress will hold several public protests to highlight the failings in the state’s BJP government, the party’s senior leader Randeep Surjewala told reporters following the closed-door session in Delhi.

He said that the government plans to expose cryptocurrency fraud, which is 40 percent corruption in government contracts aside from the absence of employment, rising prices, and other local issues.

“Now, since the general elections are just 14 months away, these questions as they prepare for the elections were debated over,” Mr. Surjewala told reporters.

The massive gathering took place amid a divide between senior officials within the state who feel that the BJP has succeeded in polarizing the masses and that the party requires clarity regarding this matter, particularly given the recent protests over hijab and violence.

Officially the party hasn’t been very vocal about the issue of hijab but has maintained that the issue is currently pending before the courts.

Mr. Gandhi had previously spoken out on the issue, claiming the nation has been “robbing our daughters’ future” by allowing this to get to hinder their education.

“Ma Saraswati imparts knowledge to everyone. She isn’t different,” he had also tweeted with his tagline “#SaraswatiPuja.”

State Congress chief DK Shivkumar and the former chief minister Siddaramaiah and other top leaders have assured Mr. Gandhi that when the Congress cooperates and is united, it will be able to win and even defeat the BJP in the upcoming assembly elections scheduled for in the coming year.