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The court said the headscarf is not an essential religious practice of Islam. After the Karnataka High Court Tuesday upheld the ban on wearing the hijab in educational institutions, several politicians, including Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, said the order must be followed, even as other leaders called it “deeply disappointing.”
A full bench of the Karnataka High Court dismissed a batch of petitions filed by Muslim girls from a pre-university (PU) college in the Udupi region of the state seeking the right to wear hijabs or headscarves along with uniforms inside classrooms. The court said the headscarf is not an essential religious practice of Islam. The ban by the state government last month had sparked protests by some Muslim students and parents, and counter-protests by Hindu students.
Bommai said everyone should abide by the verdict and cooperate with the state government in implementing it. The chief minister also appealed to maintain peace and order in the society. “All students should follow the high court order and should not boycott classes or examinations. We will have to abide by the court orders and will take strict action against those who would take law and order in hands,” he added.
Chikmagalur: Protesting sudents shout slogans after being denied entry with ‘hijab’ in the college premises, in Chikmagalur, Friday, Feb. 18, 2022. (PTI Photo) Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh said they will try to win over the hearts of the “misguided” Muslim girls who are against the move, and “bring them in the mainstream of education”. “I have faith that the girls will come to the college and continue their education because the people of Karnataka neither speak against the court verdict nor go against it. I believe that these girls were misguided. They will be ‘all right’ in the coming days,” Nagesh was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
He also said the shortcomings in the Karnataka Education Act, 1983, especially the one related to school uniforms, will be rectified.
On the other hand, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti took to Twitter and called the Karnataka High Court verdict “deeply disappointing,” highlighting that this was was not only about religion but freedom of choice as well. “Karnataka HC’s decision to uphold the Hijab ban is deeply disappointing. On one hand we talk about empowering women yet we are denying them the right to a simple choice. Its isn’t just about religion but the freedom to choose,” Mufti tweeted.
Karnataka HC’s decision to uphold the Hijab ban is deeply disappointing. On one hand we talk about empowering women yet we are denying them the right to a simple choice. Its isn’t just about religion but the freedom to choose.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) March 15, 2022
Calling it a violation of fundamental rights like freedom of religion, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the hijab verdict will have a “negative impact on Muslim women.” Owaisi added, “Modernity is not about eschewing religious practices. What’s the problem if one wears a hijab?”
Karnataka Congress MP DK Suresh also questioned the high court’s decision, arguing that the Constitution accepts Islam, and therefore this went against it.
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