Even as the Hijab controversy snowballs in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh too got a whiff of the row after a statement by state school education minister Inder Singh Parmar who proposed a ‘hijab ban’ in educational institutions, but later backtracked, saying his statement was ‘wrongly interpreted. While the BJP government ensured that no such ban would take place, the announcement has spurred opposition to any anti-hijab diktat in the state, especially on social media. Muslims have opposed any plans to obstruct women of the community from putting on hijab. The dissenting voices have flooded social media platforms, which are seeing some videos, defying diktats against hijab.A day ago, a video of some hijab-clad college girls playing football had gone viral on social media. It later emerged that the video was shot at the local Indira Priyadarshini College owned by Congress MLA Arif Masood. The girls told the media that debate should not be on hijab but on issues like education.Masood was among the Congress leaders who had vehemently opposed any possible ban on hijab in educational institutions in the state.In another incident, some videos of girls wearing burqa and riding bikes went viral on social media on Thursday. The background could be identified as different localities of Bhopal.Masood speaking to News18 on Thursday had hailed the Home minister’s clarification that no ban will be placed on hijab in schools/colleges in MP. He confirmed that girls play games in his college wearing burqas, regularly.However, as the videos of burqa clad girls riding bikes went viral, Congress and BJP leaders engaged in a verbal duel where BJP leaders raked up the issue of girls riding speed without helmets. Congress leaders claimed that one of the bikes had BJP party-like colours painted on the front and questioned whether the saffron party was behind it.Later on, Home minister Narottam Mishra said it was a serious issue and action could be taken over breach of road safety rules. He, however, clarified that it wasn’t clear when the video was shot. He also urged netizens to practice caution on social media on such sensitive issues.Meanwhile, Niyaz Khan, a senior administrative officer who was in the past in the limelight for his novel on gangster Abu Salem, said in a tweet on Wednesday, “Why this fuss on hijab. Coronavirus has already taught us the importance of such attire.”However, the debate around the issue refuses to die down in political circles in the state. BJP spokesperson Neha Bagga said, “Educational institutions have their own dress code and it’s aimed at bringing uniformity among students. What if a Hindu student reaches a school or college in dhoti-kurta, the traditional attire.”Mahila Congress vice president Noori Khan tweeted a picture of herself in hijab, and wrote that those who have no faith in constitution are opposing the hijab. Those assaulting the privacy and freedom of daughters should be dealt with stern action, she said.Religious heads are also engaging in the heated debate.Jamiyat ulama-i-Hind state president Haji Md Haroon told News18 that Islam allows purdah, albeit the size of it can differ. Hijab allows a woman to save the ‘glares of others’ but it doesn’t hinder her own view. “She can study, ride bike or car or do anything. Even other religions like Sikh and Jain allows women to take dupatta to cover themselves,” he added.Maulana Azmat Shah Makki, a senior Muslim cleric, questioned why hijab was being targeted, when different religions had their ways of covering the head. He said the matter was being politicised unnecessarily. On the bike-borne burqa-clad women, he slammed the incident, saying it was a violation of law, and that the women were making a ‘mockery of hijab’.Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here.