Shabana Azmi reacts to Kangana Ranaut's comment on hijab row

The ongoing Karnataka hijab controversy continues to draw reactions from Bollywood celebrities.

On Thursday, Kangana Ranaut shared her thoughts on the matter. Taking to her Instagram stories, the actress shared a post reading, "Iran. 1973 and now. From Bikini to Burqa in fifty years flat. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." The first half of the picture shows a group of girls sitting in a bikini, while the other half of the picture shows women wearing burqas.

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Sharing the post, Kangana wrote, “If you want to show courage, show it by not wearing burqua in Afghanistan… Learn to break free, not cage yourself.” She was reacting to a tweet about how things had changed in Iran after the revolution, particularly for women.

Now, slamming Ranaut's comment, veteran actress Shabana Azmi wrote in a tweet, “Correct me if Im wrong but Afghanistan is a theocratic state and when I last checked India was a secular democratic republic ?!!”

Earlier, Bollywood veteran writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar, in a series of tweets reacted to the hijab row, saying that he has, and remains, against ‘burqa and hijab’, but has ‘nothing but deep contempt for the ‘mobs of hooligans who are trying to intimidate a small group of girls and that too unsuccessfully’.

''I have never been in favour of Hijab or Burqa. I still stand by that but at the same time, I have nothing but deep contempt for these mobs of hooligans who are trying to intimidate a small group of girls and that too unsuccessfully. Is this their idea of 'MANLINESS'. What a pity,'' he tweeted.

Veteran actor Kamal Haasan had also reacted to the controversial matter on Twitter, writing, "What is happening in Karnataka is provoking unrest. A religious poison wall is being erected among the students who are not lying. What is happening in the neighbouring state beyond the single wall should not come to Tamil Nadu. It is time for the progressive forces to be more careful."

A number of celebrities, including Richa Chadha, Swara Bhasker have shared their views on the hijab row.

For the unversed, the Hijab row began in January at a government PU College in Udupi, Karnataka, where six students who attended classes wearing headscarves were asked to leave the campus.