The Karnataka Cabinet has dropped charges against All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leaders, including Zahiruddin Ansari, who were booked for organising a procession against the hijab ban in educational institutions during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

These cases were filed against the AIMIM leaders under the Epidemic Diseases Act for organising a ‘Hijab is our right’ procession in Kalaburagi district’s Aland city during the pandemic.

However, this decision has sparked controversy, particularly due to the state's refusal to withdraw cases against Hindu students from Harihara in Davangere district, despite a subcommittee's recommendation for withdrawal.

The students, including BCom students Dhanush and Maruthi, faced charges of unlawful assembly, rioting, and disrobing the hijabs of Muslim girls during a protest against the hijab policy at a local college, said a report by India Today.

Opposition leaders in the state have questioned this move, citing a “double standard” of the Congress-led state government.

As per the report by India Today, Senior BJP leader Ashwath Narayan said that the state government was withdrawing cases to appease “one particular community.”

Today, on Monday, October 14, Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra, along with other BJP leaders, staged a protest against the Karnataka government's decision to withdraw the charges against AIMIM leaders.