BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court will on Tuesday hear pleas on barring of Muslim students from attending classes for wearing headscarf (hijab) in Udupi. Justice Krishna S Dixit said the matter will be heard on February 8, after Advocate-General Prabhuling K Navadagi sought time to respond to two separate petitions filed by the students and others before court, which were mentioned by the petitioners’ counsel.
One petition is filed by Ayesha Hajeera Almas, Reshma, Aliya Assadi, Shafa and Muskaan Zainab, students of the Government PU College Girls at Udupi. Another is filed by Resham, a student, and one Mubarak.
The first petition stated that the petitioners, who regularly wear headscarves over college uniform, were insisted upon by the principal, vice-principal and a lecturer to remove them, although they had pointed out that wearing it is part of their religious and social culture and doesn’t come in the way of discipline and education. The petitioners also alleged that some of the lecturers scolded and threatened to mark them absent, and also that they would not be awarded internal marks.
Unable to attend regular physical classes since January 1, they alleged that they were losing out on valuable academic time, and sought directions to conduct an inquiry against the lecturers and others.
Contending that the right of a woman to choose her dress is a fundamental right protected under Article 25(1), when such prescription of dress is an essential part of her religion, the petitioners in the second plea prayed before court, seeking direction to declare the petitioners’ right to wear hijab a fundamental right and an essential practice of Islam.