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Karnataka hijab ban row: HC verdict in, Udupi to reopen to schools, colleges tomorrow
Closure of all educational institutions were ordered a day ago after it was reported the Karnataka high court would pronounce its verdict in the hijab ban issue on Tuesday.
Schools and colleges will reopen in Udupi district of Karnataka on Wednesday, the district's deputy commissioner said in a fresh order on Tuesday. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC will remain in effect with restrictions on processions, celebrations and protests till March 21 to avoid any untoward incident, the commissioner said.
Closure of all educational institutions were ordered a day ago after it was reported the Karnataka high court would pronounce its verdict in the hijab ban issue on Tuesday. The court passed its verdict on the matter earlier in the day.
A row had erupted in Karnataka earlier this year after some hijab-clad girls at an Udupi college were prohibited entry to the classrooms. This had led to a days-long sit-in outside the college and the state government issuing an order banning any piece of clothing that is not part of the prescribed uniform by respective school or college.
The issue then resulted in violent clashes and intense protests in the state and parts of the country.
On Tuesday, the Karnataka high court upheld the government order banning the hijab in educational institutions. The court observed that hijab-wearing is not an essential religious practice. The prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction, constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object to, the bench said.
The petitioners have now moved the Supreme Court challenging the high court verdict. They have also vowed to fight until they get "justice."
Reacting to the high court verdict, one of the petitioners also refused to go to college without her hijab. "We will not go to the college without the hijab, but we will fight for it," news agency PTI quoted one of the girls as saying.
"The verdict which came today is unconstitutional… The Constitution itself provides us (our rights) to follow my religion and wear whatever we want," she also said.
