Karnataka Government Withdraws 2022 Hijab Ban in Classrooms

The Congress-led government in Karnataka has cancelled the 2022 hijab ban introduced by the previous BJP administration. The new decision allows students to wear "limited traditional and practice-based symbols" with standard uniforms. The order, issued on Thursday, changes rules in schools and colleges across Karnataka.

School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa announced the order at a joint press conference. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad were also present. Officials said institutions must still follow uniform rules while accommodating permitted symbols under the revised framework.

Karnataka hijab controversy and political backdrop

The move follows sustained pressure from Muslim leaders and community organisations in Karnataka. Many leaders were unhappy with the Congress candidate choice during the Davangere South bypolls. Analysts say the hijab issue gained force again after Congress candidate Samarth Shamanur Mallikarjun won narrowly, reportedly because Muslim votes were divided.

Muslim leaders had repeatedly told the Congress leadership that the hijab dispute stayed unresolved. They pointed out that the party came to power nearly three years earlier. Yet the previous BJP order remained in force until this fresh notification was issued on Thursday.

Karnataka hijab controversy legal and historical timeline

The original hijab ban was ordered by the BJP government on February 5, 2022. Several Muslim students were then stopped from entering classrooms for wearing hijabs not listed in the official dress code. Protests spread across campuses, leading to political confrontations and court cases throughout the state.

In March 2022, the Karnataka High Court upheld the BJP government order. The court held that wearing the hijab was not an essential religious practice in Islam. The case then went to the Supreme Court of India, which delivered a split verdict in October 2022, sending it to a larger bench.

The Karnataka hijab controversy also drew attention abroad. Former Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri mentioned the dispute while criticising democracy in India. With the new order now cancelling the 2022 ban, the Congress government aims to close a sensitive chapter that stirred protests, litigation and international commentary.