chennai sources stated that the former Union minister called on the state government to take steps in this regard on monday, just like sri lanka had in the aftermath of april 2019 easter bombings that killed 259 people in deadly blasts in the island nation. Meanwhile the minister, who frequently claims that tamilnadu is a breeding ground for terrorists, has been called out for Islamophobia by political leaders and activists.
When speaking to reporters at the chennai airport on monday, he claimed that if the ‘situation continued to worsen’ in tamil adu, the state would also require such measures. He was referring to Sri Lanka’s move to invoke an emergency law to ban face garments that 'hindered identification’ as part of security measures following the easter bombings. Meanwhile the niqab and burqa, commonly worn by Muslim women, were not mentioned by name, the law was widely condemned by Muslim and women's rights groups.
Moreover Pon Radhakrishnan said, “In sri lanka, they blasted the church with bombs. Who blasted it? Who all abetted the bomb blast? Everyone read it in the media. I have heard that the Sri Lankan government has gone to the extent of saying no one can walk hiding their face. If such a situation persists in tamil Nadu, even here it will come to pass that no one can cover their face and walk. The government should create it. people can't do it.” When speaking to TNM, lawyer and human rights activist sudha Ramalingam said that that it is very clear whom the minister was targeting with his remarks, despite the fact that women of many faiths cover their face.
