Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the new policy respects all religions and traditions equally. (File Photo) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday defended his government’s decision to withdraw a 2022 order that prohibited the hijab, among other religious symbols, in schools and colleges. “This is not a dress code intended to appease or hurt anyone; it is a dress code that respects the practices and traditions of all castes and religions,” he said in a statement, even as the Opposition BJP decried the move as part of the Congress’s “appeasement politics” aimed at Muslims. Siddaramaiah said the new dress code implemented in state educational institutions aligns with that followed in Kendriya Vidyalayas run by the central government. “If allowing the hijab is considered appeasement of Muslims, then is allowing the wearing of the sacred thread or turban also appeasement of those respective religions?” he asked.…