SC to hear petitions over Hijab row in Karnataka next week

New Delhi, July 13: The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear next week a batch of pleas challenging the Karnataka High Court verdict refusing to lift the ban on hijab in educational institutions of the state.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli took note of the submissions of lawyer Prashant Bhushan that the matters were filed long back but were yet to be listed for hearing. "The girls are losing out on studies," Bhushan said. The bench said, "It will be listed sometime next week".

The Karnataka high court, in its recent ruling, has upheld the ban on religious clothes inside educational institutions, including hijab. The high court ruled that hijab is not an essential religious practice in Islam. The verdict has been challenged in the top court by six Muslim students from Udupi.

Meanwhile, the high court judges Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna Dixit and Justice Khazi M Jaibunnisa who passed the hijab verdict have been provided with Y category security after they complained of receiving death threats.

According to reports, many students skipped exams owing to the hijab ban. Karnataka education minister BC Nagesh said no re-exams will be taken for those who skipped exams as there is no such provision. "Whatever the Court has said, we will abide by it. Being absent from exams will only be the prime factor and not the reason, whether it may be because of hijab row or ill-health or inability to attend or for not having studied. In the final exam- absent means absent- repeat exams cannot be held," the minister said.