The BJP said the Congress barred midday meal cooks in the state from wearing bangles. Siddaramaiah said it was a Central government rule.
Published Jul 17, 2023 | 9:35 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 17, 2023 | 9:36 PM
Bangles - Wikimedia Commons
The BJP attack on the Congress government in Karnataka over a ban on bangles for midday-meal workers seems to have boomeranged, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah fact-checking it.
It turned out that the ban was implemented in 2020, when the BJP was in power both at the Centre and in Karnataka.
It started when Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel on Saturday, 15 July, took to Twitter and accused the ruling Congress government of trying to tamper with the Hindu culture and traditions.
Kateel tweeted that another “hate-filled order” had come out from the Congress government.
“This order states women workers preparing midday meals at schools should not wear bangles,” he claimed, adding: “Shame on you for trying to suppress Hindu practices.”
He also said the Congress, “which had shed tears of blood” against the order banning the burqa in school, was now following a regressive policy towards Hindus.
“It is their choice whether to wear bangles or not. I request the government not to stick its nose in this and behave with courtesy in the case of Hindus as well,” Kateel tweeted on Saturday.
ಹಿಂದೂಗಳ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಸದಾ ವಿಷಕಾರುವ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಸರ್ಕಾರದಿಂದ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ದ್ವೇಷದ ಆದೇಶ ಹೊರಬಿದ್ದಿದೆ.
ʼಬಿಸಿಯೂಟ ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತೆಯರುʼ ಕೈಗೆ ಬಳೆ ಧರಿಸಬಾರದು ಎಂದಿರುವ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸಿಗರು ಆ ಬಳೆಗಳನ್ನು ತಾವು ಧರಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕೆಂದಿದ್ದಾರೆಯೇ?
ಹಿಂದೂ ಆಚರಣೆಗಳನ್ನು ಹತ್ತಿಕ್ಕಬೇಕೆಂಬ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಕ್ಕೆ ಧಿಕ್ಕಾರವಿರಲಿ.
1/2
— Nalinkumar Kateel (@nalinkateel) July 15, 2023
Soon after Kateel’s tweet went viral on social media, some news outlets reported on the alleged regressive attitude of the ruling Congress over the guidelines framed for the midday-meal cooks in Karnataka.
The narrative gained traction following significant public debate and criticisms on social media, to such an extent that it prompted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to intervene on Sunday.
He directed his fact-check team to work on the issue and learnt that it was the Central government that had issued guidelines in 2020 under the PM Poshan Scheme which directed women staff not to wear bangles while cooking midday meals.
And that the ruling Congress was only complying with those guidelines.
Siddaramaiah then took to Twitter to refute the reporting that the state’s Education Department recently issued guidelines regarding the dress code for woman cooks of anganwadi midday meals, barring them from wearing bangles at work.
It is falsely reported that the education department of the Karnataka state government has issued guidelines regarding dress code for Anganwadi cooking staff & has asked women not to wear bangles.
The fact is – the Central government has issued guidelines for PM POSHAN scheme,… pic.twitter.com/DEg4ddtZyH
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) July 16, 2023
Guideline circular issued by Education Department
The fact, he said, was that the Union government issued guidelines for the PM Poshan Scheme in 2020 where it had given a dress code.
It was while defining this dress code that it directed women staff not to wear bangles while cooking, he said.
They were apparently also instructed not to wear nail polish, artificial nails, watches, bracelets, rings, bangles, or other jewellery while cooking, serving, or distributing food, as these items could pose a risk of contaminating the midday meals.
According to the guidelines, the women staff members were also advised not to wear any loose ornaments as they might fall into the food.
They were also told to refrain from touching or scratching their face, head, or hair with their hands while handling midday meals.
Guidelines issued for woman mid-day meal cooks
On 10 July, the state government, based on the Union government’s guidelines, issued an order to implement the guidelines.
And this order was misreported by a section of the media, the clarified Siddaramaiah on Sunday.
