Hijab row: Karnataka HC asks students avoid wearing religious clothes till matter is resolved
India's Karnataka State High Court today asked the students not to wear any religious cloth, whether hijab or saffron scarves, on campuses of educational institutions till the matter is resolved.
A three-member bench of the court -- comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice JM Khazi and Justice Krishna S Dixit -- also said educational institutions can resume classes for students, reports our New Delhi correspondent.
The bench formed yesterday came up with the order after a petition was filed by a group of students who challenged an order of the Karnataka state government banning the wearing of hijab in schools and colleges.
The bench also said it wanted the matter to be resolved at the earliest but until then peace has to be maintained.
"Till the disposal of the matter, you people should not insist on wearing all these religious things," Justice Awasthi said.
"We will pass an order. Let the schools and colleges start. But till the matter is resolved, no student should insist on wearing a religious dress," he said.
However, the petitioners' lawyer Devadatt Kamat requested the court to consider his objection that such an order will amount to suspension of his client's constitutional rights under Article 25.
In response, Justice Awasthi said the arrangement is only for a few days till the matter is resolved and asked him to cooperate.
Earlier yesterday, Justice Dixit, who was hearing the case, had referred the case to Justice Awasthi so that a larger bench may look into the case.
The hijab row erupted at end of December when a few students began coming to the government pre-university college in Udupi wearing the headscarf. In protest, some Hindu students turned up wearing saffron scarves.
The row spread to other educational institutions in different parts of Karnataka and the protests took a violent turn in some places earlier this week, prompting the government to shut down the institutions for three days since yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Indian Supreme Court in New Delhi today declined to give an urgent hearing on a submission seeking the listing of a plea for transferring a hijab row case from the Karnataka High Court to itself.
An apex court bench, headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana, said the Karnataka High Court should be allowed to continue with the hearing of the case and decide in this regard.
Seeking transfer of the case and hearing by a nine-judge bench at the SC, senior advocate Kapil Sibal said, "the problem is that schools and colleges are closed. Girls are being stoned. It's spreading across the country".
However, after Sibal told the court that he did not want any order and only listing of the plea, Chief Justice NV Ramana said, "we will see".
Comments