Hijab row judgement: Udupi Muslim girls say they will not go to college without hijab

Udupi, Mar 15: The girls from Udupi, whose petitions seeking permission to wear Hijab inside the classrooms were dismissed by the Karnataka High Court said on Tuesday, said that they are not going to attend classes without hijab and they will fight the case legally till they get justice.

According to them, the Karnataka High Court's verdict is ''unconstitutional'. "We had approached the High Court seeking permission to wear hijab in the classrooms. The order has come against us. We will not go to the college without hijab but we will fight for it. We will try all the legal ways. We will fight for justice and our rights," PTI quoted one of the girls as stating in a press conference in this coastal town.

"The verdict which came today is unconstitutional...the constitution itself provides us (our rights) to follow my religion and whatever I can wear," the girl added and also referred to a government order on February 5 banning any cloth that disturbed peace, harmony and public order on the campus.

The circular came only after they approached the HC. Accusing the government of 'creating an issue' by issuing a circular, the girls alleged it was done to create pressure.

"How much issue they made! Oh my God! They made an issue for all the colleges. They have denied education to all the girls. This was done to create pressure...," the girl charged.

She reiterated that Hijab was an essential part of her religion.

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed petitions filed by a section of Muslim students from the Government Pre-University Girls College in Udupi, seeking permission to wear Hijab inside the classroom, saying the headscarf is not a part of the essential religious practice in Islamic faith.

The prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction, constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object to, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi further noted. Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh welcomed the order and described it as "landmark."