Marine Pen makes controversial promise, says will punish Muslims for headscarves

As election dates are coming close, Marine Le Pen, who is a far-right presidential contender in France, has promised to punish Muslims who wear headscarves in public places on Thursday, as politicians made a final push for votes three(3) days before an election that is becoming tighter.

President Emmanuel Macron has already an untouchable lead ahead of the first round of voting on Sunday, but Le Pen has tightened the gap and believes she has a genuine chance of winning the April 24 run-off.

With France’s main right-and left-wing parties are in shambles, far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon is on track to finish third, and he still thinks he can force a run-off.

According to the reports, she said, “People will be given a fine in the same way that it is illegal not to wear your seat belt. It seems to me that the police are very much able to enforce this measure.”

Le Pen has made a statement that she is intending to use referendums to attempt to avoid constitutional challenges to several of her proposed measures, which she is claiming as discriminatory as well as infringing on human liberties.

Last French law banning visible religious symbols in schools or full-face veils in public was approved since it applied to all people and in specific circumstances.

During this year’s campaign, Le Pen, 53, has toned down her anti-immigration rhetoric in favour of focusing on household expenditure, placing her closer than ever to power, as per surveys.

As per recent polling, if the two of them win the first round of voting on Sunday, she will be within striking distance of centrist Macron.

A second-round run-off election is set for April 24, with surveys showing Macron with a modest advantage of 54% to 46% over Le Pen.

Melenchon is also surging ahead of the election, and he’s touting his prospects of surprising voters.