Hijab row: Prohibitory order in Bengaluru, holiday for schools, colleges in DK ahead of court verdict

Bengaluru, Mar 14: Ahead of the Karnataka High Court's verdict on the Hijab row, the Bengaluru cops have issued prohibitory orders barring gatherings, agitations and protests for a week. It comes to effect from March 14.

"In order to maintain public peace and order in Bengaluru city, it is considered appropriate to issue prohibitory order u/s 144(1) CrPC of 1973, for one week to ban gathering, agitations, protests, celebrations of any type in any public place in Bengaluru City," a statement from Police Commissioner read.

It may be recalled that the Bengaluru police had earlier imposed prohibitory orders barring gatherings outside educational institutions for a few weeks after the controversy broke out. It prohibited any gathering, agitation or protest of any type within the area of 200-metre radius from the gates of schools, PU colleges, degree colleges or other similar educational institutions in Bengaluru city.

Similarly, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commisioner had ordered a holiday to all schools and colleges on Tuesday in view of the court's verdict. "External exams will happen as per schedule but internal exams of all schools & colleges will be postponed," Dr Rajendra KV, DC, Dakshina Kannada, said.

Meanwhile, the full bench of the Karnataka High Court, which concluded its hearing in the Hijab case, is likely to pronounce its verdict on Tuesday. The demand by a section of girls in an Udupi pre-university college to wear Hijab inside their classrooms erupted into a major row after some Hindu students turned up in saffron shawls with the issue spreading to other parts of the state, even as the government insisted on a uniform norm.

According to the lawyers appearing for the petitioner girls from Udupi district, the matter pertaining to Hijab case has been listed for Tuesday as serial No. 1 and the court may spell out the operative part of the verdict from 10.30 am onwards.