Hijab is not a part of the uniform and should be banned in schools of Madhya Pradesh, said state Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar on Tuesday, according to the Hindustan Times.

According to Parmar, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader, the Madhya Pradesh administration will discuss the matter before posting a decision.

“From the next session, we will issue rules and regulations related to the uniform dress codes,” he said. “Hijab is not part of the uniform and it should be banned in MP.”

The minister also claimed there is an attempt to deliberately “ruin” the country’s atmosphere.

Parmar’s remarks come at a time when some colleges in Karnataka prevented students wearing hijabs from attending classes. In the past few days, confrontations between groups of students on the wearing of the hijab have spread to a large number of colleges in Karnataka.

Multiple students of the Government Women’s Pre-University College in Udupi district have filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court seeking permission to wear hijabs in college. They have been protesting for nearly a month. The court on Tuesday, while requesting the students to maintain peace, posted the matter for further hearing on Wednesday.

Parmar said that while there was no objection to women wearing hijab in public spaces, in schools it would not be acceptable, The Indian Express reported.

“But in schools, there should be a sense of equality and so a uniform dress code is required,” he added.

Congress MLA from Bhopal Arif Masood said that BJP should refrain from mixing politics and education, the Hindustan Times reported,

“BJP leaders are bringing politics in every issue,” he said. “If they take any decision of putting a ban on wearing hijab, we will stage [a] protest against it and will not allow that draconian order.”

India’s Constitution guarantees a person the freedom to practise their religion as a fundamental right, subject to certain restrictions. In the past, the courts have held that the right to wear a hijab would fall under the protections guaranteed by the Constitution.