Karnataka Hijab Row: Single Bench Of Karnataka HC Refers Hijab Ban Issue To Larger Bench, No Interim Relief

The bench further refused to pass interim orders permitting girls to attend colleges wearing hijab

New Delhi: Karnataka High Court's single bench headed by Justice Krishna Dixit on Wednesday referred the hijab ban issue to a larger bench.

The bench further refused to pass interim orders permitting girls to attend colleges wearing hijab. The bench said that interim relief is to be considered by the larger bench, according to Live Law.

"The matter is now being placed before the Chief Justice of Karnataka's HC for whether or not the matter should be referred to a larger bench...The matter has to be decided & disposed of as soon as possible as students are suffering from this issue," said Advocate Abhishek as quoted by ANI news agency.

On Tuesday, single-bench headed by Justice Krishna Dixit in Karnataka High Court said that the court would go by reason, by law and not by passion or emotions.

"Wearing of a headscarf is an essential part of Muslim culture," said senior advocate Devdutt Kamat, who appeared for the petitioners, as reported by this news portal on Tuesday.

The Karnataka High Court was hearing the matter filed by five students, questioning the restriction on wearing hijab in college. This controversy first sparked on December 27, when six hijab-clad students were barred from attending classes. And later BJP ruling government in Karnataka has clearly taken a stand that there should be uniformity in schools and colleges so students shouldn't be allowed with hijab or saffron shawls inside the campuses.

Govt bans protests near schools, colleges for two weeks

Meanwhile, Amid the growing unrest between the hijab-clad students and students wearing saffron-shawl, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai ordered the closure of schools and colleges for three days.

Besides this, the government on Wednesday has also ordered a ban on gathering, protests within a radius of 200-metre from the gates of schools, PU colleges, degree colleges or any other similar educational institutions in Bengaluru for the next two weeks.