BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Friday issued interim orders on the hijab row, noting that the interests of students are better served by returning to classes than by agitations and consequent closure of institutions. The interim order, confined to institutions where College Development Committees (CDCs) have prescribed dress code or uniforms for students, restrains students from wearing saffron shawls (Bhagwa), scarfs, hijab, religious flags or the like within the classroom regardless of their religion, until further orders.
The court observed that as the academic year is coming to an end shortly, “We hope and trust that all stakeholders and the public at large shall maintain peace and tranquility.” The court observed, “Ours being a civilised society, no person in the name of religion, culture or the like can be permitted to do any act that disturbs public peace and tranquility. Endless agitations and closure of educational institutions indefinitely are not happy things to happen.”
The three-judge bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, and Justices Krishna S Dixit and JM Khazi passed the interim order as indicated towards the end of hearing on Thursday evening, while taking up a batch of petitions filed by students from Udupi.
‘Pained by closure of schools’
The three-judge bench passed the interim order as indicated towards the end of hearing on Thursday evening, while taking up a batch of petitions filed by students from Udupi district questioning the uniform prescribed by the state government on February 5, 2022.
“Firstly, we are pained by the ongoing agitations and closure of educational institutions for the past few days, especially when this court is seized off this matter and important issues of constitutional significance and of personal law are being seriously debated,” the court noted after hearing the arguments of senior counsels Sanjay Hegade and Devadatt Kamat, representing petitioners, and Advocate General Prabhuling Navadagi. Noting that these matters involved questions of enormous public importance and constitutional significance, the full bench said it will take up further hearing at 2.30 pm on Monday.