NEW DELHI, 13 February 2022, (TON): A US official has voiced concerns about the controversial banning of the headscarf at schools and colleges in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, prompting a strongly worded rebuttal from New Delhi.

Rashad Hussain, the US ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom, said in a tweet that the hijab ban would stigmatise and marginalise women and girls.

Hussain tweeted “religious freedom includes the ability to choose one’s religious attire.”

“The Indian state of Karnataka should not determine permissibility of religious clothing. Hijab bans in schools violate religious freedom and stigmatize and marginalize women and girls.”

India’s external affairs ministry hit back at what it called “motivated comments” on its internal issues, adding that the case was under judicial examination.

Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said “our constitutional framework and mechanisms, as well as our democratic ethos and polity, are the context in which issues are considered and resolved. Motivated comments on our internal issues are not welcome.”