Hijab row: Karnataka High court defers hearing till tomorrow

Bengaluru, Feb 14: A three-judge Bench of the Karnataka High Court on Monday adjourned hearing on petitions challenging hijab ban in schools and colleges till tomorrow.

During the hearing, the High Court appealed to media, saying our earnest request to media is to be more responsible.

The state is an outside authority. It cannot say that wearing a headscarf is essential practise or not. It has to be seen from the view point of a believer. This is a case where students have been wearing headscarf for years together. The College Development Committee does not have any statutory basis, Advocate Kamat, appearing for petitioners said.

Discussing the Constitution's Article 25, which discuss religious freedoms, the senior advocate questioned, "Where is that Law on the basis of which the headscarf is prohibited".

"The declaration made by the government that wearing of headscarf is not protected by Article 25 is totally erroneous," he added.

The three-judge full bench was formed on Wednesday to hear the petitions by the Muslim girl students challenging the ban on Hijab after the single bench of Justice Dixit, who had been hearing the case since Tuesday referred it to Chief Justice Awasthi with a view that the petitions can be heard by a larger bench.

The Hijab row started in Udupi with six girls coming to the college wearing head scarves citing their faith in December end. In reaction, a few Hindu students began turning up at the college wearing saffron scarves.

Gradually, the issue spread to other parts of the state leading to tension and violence on the campus in certain places. In Bagalkote, police resorted to lathi charge when the crowd gathered in the college due to vehement protests from both sides.

Subsequently, the Karnataka government announced a three-day holiday from Wednesday for high schools and Pre-university colleges to avoid any further disturbances and untoward incidents on campuses.