The Karnataka high court on Tuesday said the hijab does not constitute an essential religious practice in Islam. "We are of the considered opinion (that) wearing of hijab by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith," the bench led by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi said. The verdict was in response to a clutch of petitions challenging the ban on girls wearing hijabs while attending schools or colleges.
The court also ruled on a February 5 Karnataka government order that barred students from wearing clothing that could 'disturb peace and harmony'. The court said uniforms prescribed by schools and colleges could not be seen as an unreasonable restriction on students.
The row over the wearing of hijabs erupted in January after two government colleges in the coastal districts of Udupi and Mangaluru barred girls from entering the classroom while wearing the hijab. Protests escalated dramatically after fringe Hindu groups mobilised men wearing saffron shawls to stop women in hijabs from entering schools and colleges.
Here is a timeline of the entire issue: