Mumbai

Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Saba Haroon Khan on Wednesday defended the wearing of the hijab, describing it as a matter of personal dignity and choice rather than a political issue.

Speaking to ANI, Khan said, “The hijab represents dignity for Muslim women and should not be politicised. You can see North Indians covering half of their face with a dupatta as well. Similarly, this is our dignity as Muslims.” She emphasized that head coverings are a common practice across various communities.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Haroon Khan, her father, also spoke on the matter, noting that his daughter has consistently worn the hijab, including during election campaigns, without any objections. “She has always been in hijab, even through the elections, and voters did not raise any issue. There is no need to make it a controversy,” he said.

Saba Haroon Khan recently won the civic polls from Versova’s Ward No. 64, defeating her nearest rival by 3,768 votes.

Meanwhile, former Mayor Kishori Pednekar was elected leader of Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators. Pednekar, who secured victory from Ward No. 199, defeated Rupal Kusale of the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction).

The results come shortly after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its Mahayuti allies achieved a sweeping victory in Maharashtra’s civic elections, winning 25 of 29 municipal corporations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). This ended nearly three decades of dominance by the Thackeray family in the BMC. The Mahayuti alliance secured 118 of the 227 seats, with the BJP emerging as the single largest party at 89 seats. Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) won 29 seats, while Shiv Sena (UBT) led the opposition with 65 seats.

Other parties made modest gains, with Congress winning 24 seats, AIMIM securing eight seats in Mumbai and 114 statewide, and MNS adding six seats. The Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance together polled over 7.9 lakh votes, accounting for roughly 14.5 per cent of the total votes cast.

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Khan’s remarks and her election success highlight how personal choices like wearing the hijab intersect with public service and political discourse, even as Maharashtra witnesses a significant shift in municipal power dynamics.