Supreme Court likely to pronounce verdict on hijab row today

New Delhi, Oct 12: The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce a verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the Karnataka government's order, prohibiting wearing of hijab inside classrooms in Pre University Colleges.

On September 22, a bench of Justices Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia had reserved its judgement on the pleas for 10 days.

The verdict on these pleas is expected this week as Justice Gupta, who is heading the bench, is due to retire on October 16.

During the previous hearings, a number of counsel appearing for the petitioners had insisted that preventing the Muslim girls from wearing the hijab to the classroom will put their education in jeopardy as they might stop attending classes.

Counsel for the petitioners had argued on various aspects, including on the state government's February 5, 2022 order which banned wearing clothes that disturb equality, integrity, and public order in schools and colleges.

Some advocates had also argued that the matter be referred to a five-judge constitution bench.

The government had argued that the Karnataka government order that kicked up a row over hijab was "religion neutral".

Insisting that the agitation in support of wearing hijab in educational institutions was not a "spontaneous act" by a few individuals, the state's counsel had argued in the apex court that the government would have been "guilty of dereliction of constitutional duty" if it had not acted the way it did.

On March 15, the high court had dismissed the petitions filed by a section of Muslim students of the Government Pre-University Girls College in Karnataka's Udupi seeking permission to wear the hijab inside classrooms, ruling it is not a part of the essential religious practice in Islamic faith.

The state government's order of February 5, 2022 was challenged by some Muslim girls in the high court. Several pleas have been filed in the apex court challenging the high court verdict.