Switzerland votes in favour of banning face coverings in public

According to details, the official results have shown that the parliament narrowly voted in favour of banning face veil including burka and hijab.

The referendum was passed by 51.2% to 48.8%.

The proposal of banning face covering was put forward by Swiss People's Party (SVP) which termed wearing veil in public as an extremist move.

The Muslim community of Switzerland has termed it as "a dark day".

"Today's decision opens old wounds, further expands the principle of legal inequality, and sends a clear signal of exclusion to the Muslim minority," the Central Council of Muslims said in a statement, adding that it would challenge the decision in court.

The ban on face coverings had been opposed by Swiss government who stated that it was not up to the state to dictate what women wear.

Switzerland has about 5% Muslim population, most originating from Turkey, Bosnia and Kosovo.

The wearing of veils in public has been a controversial topic in several other European countries as well. France put a ban on wearing a full face veil in public in 2011 while the Denmark, Netherlands, Austria and Bulgaria have put in place full or partial bans on wearing face coverings in public.