Karnataka High Court Refers Hijab Ban Case To Larger Bench

Bengaluru: The matter related to the hijab ban in the state of Karnataka has been referred to a larger bench by the Karnataka High Court on 9 February.

The single bench has refrained from passing interim orders allowing girl students to attend colleges wearing hijab. The single bench said that a larger bench will consider an interim relief.

"Having regard for the enormity of questions of importance which are being debated, the court is of the considered opinion that the papers be put at the hand of Chief Justice to decide if a larger bench can be constituted in the subject matter," Justice Krishna Dixit said.

In the meantime, protests, agitations, demonstrations and gathering within an area of 200-meter radius of schools, colleges or other similar educational institutions in Bengaluru has been banned by the Karnataka police for two weeks.

Petitions on the issue had been heard by the court on 8 February. The court had also appealed to the students and people to maintain peace and stability and refrain from disrupting public order.

In order to de-escalate the situation, the state government decided to shut down schools and colleges for at least the next three days following chaotic scenes that erupted over the hijab row in different parts of Karnataka.

The state government had earlier reiterated that they were not willing to compromise on its circular to ban hijabs in public schools and colleges.

This culminated in a massive protest march which was led by Muslim women belonging to several organizations on 9 February and the protest took place in Kalburgi in Karnataka.

The agitated protestors demanded that hijab be permitted in the educational institutes of the state.

The hijab row began last month when six students alleged that they were not allowed to enter classes for wearing the hijab at the Government Girls PU College in Udupi.

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