Hijab Row: Karnataka HC refers case to larger bench

The single bench hearing of the case has referred it to the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court.  The Karnataka High Court had resumed the hearing today on the petitions filed by girls studying in a Government Pre-university College in Udupi, questioning hijab restriction in the college.

Hijab Row: Karnataka HC refers case to larger bench

Amid the ongoing hijab row, the Karnataka High Court today passed on the matter to a larger bench to decide on whether schools and colleges can order Muslim girls to not wear hijabs. Meanwhile, the state police also banned protests, agitations, demonstrations and gathering within the area of 200-meter radius from the gate of schools, PU colleges, degree colleges or other similar educational institutions in Bengaluru city for the next two weeks.

Karnataka HC heard petitions on the hijab issue on Tuesday and had urged the students and people to maintain peace and tranquility. The Chief Minister also announced the closure of schools and colleges for three days following tensions over the hijab row in different parts of the state.

"These matters give rise to certain constitutional questions of seminal importance in view of certain aspects of personal law," the judge hearing the case said, referring it to a panel of judges to be led by the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court Ritu Raj Awasthi.

"In view of the enormity of questions of importance which were debated, the court is of the considered opinion that the Chief Justice should decide if a larger bench can be constituted in the subject matter," Justice Krishna S Dixit said.

"The bench was also of the view that the interim prayers should also be placed before the larger bench that may be constituted by Chief Justice Awasthi exercising his discretion," he added.

It must be noted that the case has been filed by a group of Muslim girls studying in government colleges in the Udupi district against a ban on wearing hijabs in classrooms. On January 1, a government Pre-University college in Karnataka's Udupi barred six Muslim girl students from attending classes as they were wearing hijab. The college management cited a new uniform policy behind the reason for the ban. Soon after this, other government colleges in Udupi witnessed several students protesting against a ban on hijab.

Read More:

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• Hijab Row: Karnataka HC to hear plea against hijab ban today, CM requests to keep peace
• DU students' outfit stage protest against hijab restrictions in Karnataka