India rejects US criticism

India yesterday reacted sharply to the comments coming from some countries on the hijab controversy in the southern state of Karnataka and said "motivated comments" on its internal issues "are not welcome". India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the matter was under judicial examination by the High Court of Karnataka. "Our constitutional framework and mechanisms, as well as our democratic ethos and polity, are the context in which issues are considered and resolved. Those who know India well would have a proper appreciation of these realities. Motivated comments on our internal issues are not welcome," he said. On Friday, the US Ambassador At Large for International Religious Freedom had said Karnataka should not ban hijab in schools as it "violates religious freedom". Protests over the hijab issue spread beyond Karnataka's educational institutions to other cities like Aligarh, Hyderabad and Vijayawada on Friday, according to a PTI report.