Shabana Azmi calls out Kangana Ranaut for her Afghanistan argument amid hijab controversy

Chandigarh, February 11

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi has called out actress Kangana Ranaut for her recent comments on the ongoing hijab row in Karnataka.

Kangana Ranaut, on Thursday, took her Instagram Story and shared a screenshot of author Anand Ranganathan’s tweet that said, “Iran. 1972 and now. From Bikini to Burqa in fifty years flat. Those who do not learn from History are doomed to repeat it.” Alongside the picture, Kangana shared her opinion. She wrote, “If you want to show courage, show it by not wearing burqa in Afghanistan… Learn to break free not cage yourself.”

On Friday, Shabana took to Twitter to question Kangana. Sharing the snippet of Kangana’s post, Shabana wrote: “Correct me if I’m wrong but Afghanistan is a theocratic state and when I last checked India was a secular democratic republic?!!”

Earlier, Shabana’s husband Javed Akhtar said that he has never been in favour of burqa or hijab but he condemns those ‘intimidating’ girls wearing hijab amid the ongoing issue in Karnataka. “I have never been in favour of Hijab or Burqa. I still stand by that but at the same time, I have nothing but deep contempt for these mobs of hooligans who are trying to intimidate a small group of girls and that too unsuccessfully. Is this their idea of ‘manliness’. What a pity.”

Many celebrities have weighed in on the ongoing controversy in the country that flared up in Karnataka over whether students should be permitted to wear the hijab in educational institutions or not.

The controversy in Karnataka erupted in January after a few students of the Government Girls P.U. College in Udupi objected to not being allowed in classes for wearing the hijab.