Khursheed said a parallel could not be drawn with France.

'I don't think there is much to learn from France. Let us not forget that what happened in France relates to schools run by the state. The extent to which the state is required to be neutral between different communities is not the same right minority or majority institutions have,' he said.

Asked about renowned Islamic scholar Moulana Wahiduddin Khan's statement that the 'burqa' was not an Islamic dress code, the minister said Islam used the word 'hijab' which is probably different from burqa.

'Hijab can be interpreted in different ways. Whether it is a religious or cultural issue, we have to be sensitive to the feelings of other communities,' he stressed.