On Karnataka Hijab Ban, Split Verdict By Supreme Court
A split decision in the Supreme Court today resulted from petitions against the hijab prohibition in Karnataka. While Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia approved the applications, Justice Hemant Gupta dismissed them.
“It’s ultimately a matter of choice and nothing else. One thing which was topmost for me was education of the girl child,” said Justice Dhulia.
“There is divergence of opinion,” said Justice Gupta, who framed and answered 11 questions in his judgment for dismissing the plea. He said he agrees with the Karnataka High Court’s order.
The ban on the hijab, a headscarf worn by certain Muslim women, in schools and colleges had been upheld by the Karnataka High Court. A minister from Karnataka stated today that the hijab ban is still in effect despite the divided decision.
The Supreme Court division bench then said that a three-judge panel would hear the case and present it to the Chief Justice of India.
On February 5, the BJP-controlled state government forbade students from donning the hijab on campus. “We applaud the Supreme Court’s ruling. But I was hoping for a request today. A larger bench will consider the case. The government of Karnataka’s ban on head coverings on campuses is still in effect as of right now “BC Nagesh, the state’s minister of education said. Muslim female students contested it in the Karnataka High Court. The high court dismissed certain Muslim students’ petitions on March 15 from the Government Pre-University Girls College in Udupi, Karnataka.
The top court determined that the students’ desire to wear the headscarf in class did not constitute an important component of Islamic religious practise. After leaving its decision on the appeals on September 22, the Supreme Court’s bench of Justices Gupta and Dhulia delivered a split decision today. Before deferring judgement, the bench heard arguments for ten days.
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