Karnataka Hijab Row: Police Take Out Flag March Ahead Of Reopening Of Schools

The flag march comes a day after the Karnataka High Court said that it would resume hearing the pleas challenging the hijab restrictions on Monday.

Karnataka Hijab Row: Police Take Out Flag March Ahead Of Reopening Of Schools (Image: ANI)

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing controversy over wearing of hijab at educational institutions in Karnataka, the state police took out flag marches in Udupi, Chitradurga and Doddaballapura in a bid to maintain law and order ahead of reopening of schools from February 14.

The flag march comes a day after the Karnataka High Court said that it would resume hearing the pleas challenging the hijab restrictions on Monday.

#WATCH Police personnel hold flag march in Karnataka's Udupi ahead of re-opening of schools up to 10th standard from 14th February pic.twitter.com/MpB0RtKGRl

— ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2022

The high court, in its interim order on Friday, directed students not to insist on wearing any cloth on campuses of educational institutions that could create trouble.

Notably, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday had ordered the closure of high schools and colleges amid the escalating row over the matter.

Taking the announcement to his Twitter handle, Chief Minister Bommai had said, "I appeal to all the students, teachers and management of schools and colleges as well as people of Karnataka to maintain peace and harmony. I have ordered the closure of all high schools and colleges for the next three days. All concerned are requested to cooperate."

While hearing the matter on Tuesday, Karnataka High Court had said "We will go by reason, by law, not by passion or emotions. We will go by what Constitution says. Constitution is the Bhagavad Gita for me. I have taken the oath to abide by Constitution. Let's keep the emotions aside," as quoted by Livelaw.

"Wearing of a headscarf is an essential part of Muslim culture," said senior advocate Devdutt Kamat, who appeared for the petitioners.

The apex court on Friday rejected an urgent hearing on the hijab row, saying it "will interfere only at an appropriate time." A girl in Karnataka had approached the Supreme Court on this matter, saying that since the practical exams are about to start on February 15, "any interference on students' access to educational institutions will impede their education".

An incident from Davanagere also added to the tensions on the ground as a Hindu man was thrashed by a group of Muslims over a social media post.

Dileep Malagimane, who was injured in this attack, is undergoing treatment in a hospital, police said, adding a case has been filed and four people have been arrested, according to a report by NDTV.

The ongoing row can be traced back to the beginning of January when some students in Udupi and Chikkamagaluru started wearing hijab to schools as a mark of protest after some of them were not allowed to enter the classroom for wearing the headscarves.