Karnataka High Court reserves orders on Hijab row

New Delhi: The Karnataka High Court on Friday (February 25) reserved its order on various petitions challenging the ban on Hijab in education institutions.

The pre-University education board had released a circular stating that students can wear only the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious practices will be allowed in colleges.

During the hearing on Tuesday (February 22), the Karnataka government told the High Court that there is no restriction on wearing Hijab in India with reasonable restrictions subject to institutional discipline and dismissed the charge that denial to wear the headscarf was a violation of Article 15 of the Constitution, which prohibits discrimination of every sort.

Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat appearing for a petitioner told the Karnataka High Court on Thursday (February 24) that the government order is illegal. In his rejoinder arguments, senior Advocate Kamat submitted that the government order has to be quashed and if it goes, there is no restriction on the exercise of fundamental rights.

The hijab protests in Karnataka began in January this year when some students of Government Girls PU college in the Udupi district of the state alleged that they had been barred from attending classes. During the protests, some students claimed they were denied entry into the college for wearing hijab.

(With agency inputs)

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