No student should insist on wearing a religious attire to educational institutions till a final order is passed in this regard, the Karnataka High Court said on Thursday.
A three-judge bench comprising the High court Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice JM Khazi is hearing petitions regarding the Hijab row in Udupi. The issue began with six girls stating that they were denied permission to attend college since December over the contention that it was not part of the uniform.
In an oral observation the court said that no student would wear an attire of religious significance till the issue is resolved. The hearing of the matter will be continued at 2.30 pm on Monday.
“We are ready to decide the issue at the earliest. However, we feel that peace and tranquility should be restored. Till the decision is taken, you should not insist on wearing these religious clothes which are not conducive,” the chief justice said.
The observation was however countered by advocate Devadatt Kamath, who is representing the girls that this would be a denial of their basic rights. In his arguments on Thursday, quoting the verses of Quran, he said that the prescription of a head scarf has specific mention here.
In Karnataka, a three-day holiday was declared for classes 9 and 10 and colleges after violence erupted in several districts following the hijab row. Educational institutions switched to online classes till February 10.
Also read: Karnataka Hijab row: Debates begin across the country
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