Hijab row: No 'religious attire' for now, says Karnataka High Court

New Delhi/Bengaluru, Feb 10

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday restrained students from wearing a religious attire till it decided the issues arising out of the hijab controversy, even as a petition sought the Supreme Court’s intervention in view of its pan-India ramifications.

Plea filed in SC

• A plea on the hijab row was filed in the SC on Thursday
• “The problem is that schools and colleges are closed…Girls are being stoned. It’s spreading across the country,” senior advocate Kapil Sibal said
• “Please wait…let the High Court decide… They’re hearing it,” the CJI NV Ramana told Sibal, refusing an urgent listing

While hearing petitions, some by Muslim girl students alleging that they were not allowed to enter colleges following a government order against wearing of hijab, a Bench of Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice JM Khazi said it wanted peace to return on campuses.

“We will restrain everyone from adopting religious practices while we are hearing…We will direct that the institutions shall start. But till the matter is pending consideration…these students and all stakeholders shall not insist on wearing religious garments, may be headdress or saffron shawl. We will restrain everyone. Because we want peace and tranquillity in the state,” it said.

“This kind of an order cannot be passed at this stage,” said senior advocate Devdutt Kamat, representing one of the petitioners objecting to the interim order. “We cannot be asked to suspend our faith for a few days,” said another senior advocate Sanjay Hegde.

“It’s a matter of a few days. Please cooperate,” said Chief Justice Awasthi, posting the matter for further hearing on Monday.