Karnataka Hijab Row: HC single bench refers case to larger CJ bench
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Students wearing hijab sit outside their school as the school authorities denied entry for wearing a hijab or scarf in Karnataka's Kundapura of Udupi district, on 4 February 2022 | PTI
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court referred the case, on petitions filed by Muslim girls for being banned from wearing hijabs inside the classroom, to a larger bench of Chief Justice, NDTV reported.
Justice Krishna S Dixit, the judge who was hearing the case, observed that the case had given rise to certain constitutional questions of seminal importance in view of certain aspects of personal law.
Given the enormity of questions of importance the court has debated, it is under the opinion that the CJ should decide on the case if a larger bench is constituted, the judge said.
The court further said that interim pleas also should be placed before the larger bench.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka State Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy informed that the cabinet had discussed the Hijab. Since the matter is sub judice, it felt that further decisions must be taken after the High Court's verdict, he said. On Wednesday, the court resumed hearing the case, PTI reported.
The state government has issued an order to close high schools and colleges for three days after 'anti-hijab' demonstrations rose at many places, some turned violent, in the state.
Last week, the Basawaraj Bommai led BJP government has issued an order banning clothes that disturb the peace, communal harmony, law and order, etc., in the state. The order added that uniforms prescribed by the government or the management of private institutions must be followed by the students at schools and pre-university colleges in the state.
The petition was filed by a group of Muslim girls studying in government colleges in Karnataka's Udupi district, after wearing hijabs inside classrooms was banned by the government.