Karnataka’s home minister, Araga Jnanendra has said that the home department is keeping a close watch after Al-Qaeda chief released a video praising Karnataka’s student Muskaan who had risen to fame during the Hijab row.

Muskaan is a second year B Com student from Mandya from PES College of Arts, Science and Commerce who was heckled by a group of boys donning saffron shawls with the chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’. In response, she shouted ‘Allah hu akbar’. Muskaan is also the daughter of a PFI leader Abdul Shukoor.

Islamic terror outfit Al-Qaeda’s chief Ayman Al Zawahiri released a video statement on Wednesday criticizing the Hijab row in Karnataka while also praising the student as ‘the noble woman of India’. SITE, an American non-profit that tracks online activities of terror organisations has confirmed the authenticity of the statement.

“We have been saying this from the beginning, and the High Court too during the hijab verdict had suggested the possibility of some unseen hands behind the hijab row…now it is proved, because Al-Qaeda people are now releasing videos,” Jnanendra said in response to a question on Zawahiri praising Muskaan.

“How things are happening, what is the link. All these things are being investigated by the police…they will find out,” he added.

Previously, after Muskaan’s video surfaced, Zeeshan Siddique, an MLA from the Maharashtra Congress visited her residence in Mandya and gifted her an iPhone and a smartwatch while Islamic outfit Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh while applauding her bravery.

 Inputs from PTI

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