Karnataka Hijab Ban Stays, Court Says Not Essential Religious Practice

Bengaluru:

A hijab will not be a vital non secular observe, the Karnataka Excessive Court docket stated at the moment in an enormous setback to college students who had challenged a ban on carrying the hijab in school. 5 petitions had challenged the ban in courtroom. 

Forward of the order, the state government banned large gatherings for every week in state capital Bengaluru “to keep up public peace and order”. Mangalore too banned massive gatherings from March 15 to 19. Faculties and schools are closed in Udupi at the moment. 

The Karnataka Excessive Court docket had quickly banned non secular garments, together with Hijab and saffron scarves, final month because the controversy snowballed into protests and a face-off between completely different sections of scholars.

The petitioners, together with a dozen Muslim college students, informed the courtroom that carrying the hijab was a elementary proper assured beneath India’s structure and important observe of Islam. After eleven days of the listening to, the Excessive Court docket had reserved its judgment on February 25. 

Academics together with college students have been stopped from getting into faculties and schools for carrying the hijab in lots of elements of the state since then.

Movies of scholars and academics eradicating the Hijab in public to be allowed inside instructional establishments had triggered a large outcry. The Excessive Court docket had then clarified that the non permanent ban utilized solely to college students and never academics. 

The controversy over the hijab erupted in Karnataka late final 12 months as college students at a faculty in Udupi alleged that they have been stopped from getting into class carrying headscarves.

On February 5, Karnataka banned “garments that have been towards regulation and order” and on February 10 the Excessive Court docket quickly banned all non secular outfits because it heard petitions difficult the restrictions.