The school teacher has not commented on the controversy around her resignation even as the school management was widely condemned for it. (Representational image)
A private school teacher in Srinagar was forced to resign after she was asked to choose between her job and wearing Abaya, a traditional garment worn by many Muslim women across the world. The controversy which reverberated in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly finally got the school to apologise days later "for unintentionally hurting the sentiments of people".
The branch of the Delhi Public School in Srinagar, however, is still silent on if others will be allowed to wear Abaya at school. The teacher who quit the school over the issue has refused to comment.
The PDP-BJP government took up the issue in the Assembly. In a strong-worded statement, Education Minister Naeem Akhtar of the PDP said that India was a mutli-religious society and not one where turbans and headscarves could be disallowed.
"We live in a multi-religious, multi-cultural set-up. We have a secular fabric. No force on any such issue will be accepted. We are not France or any other country," Mr Akhtar said.
The BJP too said that such a thing can't happen in India. "We should not hurt the religious sentiments of anybody. We cannot impose rules like France," said Ravinder Raina.
The school management, which did not react further, has said the students who had boycotted classes since Friday have begun to come back.