Bangalore: The Single Judge of the Karnataka High Court, who is hearing the cases related to the ban on Hijab in the school-college premises, on Wednesday referred the matter to Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi. ) sent to.
The single judge said the Chief Justice may decide to constitute a larger bench to look into the matter. At the same time, the state cabinet has decided to wait for the order of the High Court before taking any decision on the hijab controversy.
In view of the tension over the hijab controversy, the state government on Tuesday ordered the closure of all high schools and colleges in the state for three days, following which educational institutions remained calm on Wednesday. Sources said that most of them returned to the online mode of reading.
The functioning of the primary schools across the state operated normally without any interruption. Some Muslim girls studying in government colleges in the state’s Udupi district have filed a petition against the ban on admission to classes wearing hijab. Hearing the cases, Justice Krishna S Dixit observed that in view of certain aspects of personal law, these cases raise certain constitutional questions of fundamental importance.
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Justice Dixit said, “Given the enormity of the issues that were debated and the important questions, the court is of the view that the Chief Justice should decide whether a larger Bench can be constituted for the subject.” “The bench is also of the view that interim applications should also be placed before a larger bench, which may be constituted by Chief Justice Awasthi,” Justice Dixit said in the order.
However, senior advocate Sanjay Hegde requested the bench to pass an interim order as the examinations are two months away and students should not be deprived of their education. On this, advocate Devdutt Kamat, appearing for the Muslim girl students, requested that the girls be allowed to ‘follow their culture’.
Karnataka Advocate General Prabhulinga K Navadagi opposed the interim relief and allowing girl students to wear hijab to colleges. Ahead of the High Court order, the Karnataka cabinet on Wednesday morning decided to wait for the court’s decision on the hijab controversy before taking any further decision on the matter.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister JC Madhuswamy said, “We discussed the hijab controversy (in the cabinet), but since the High Court is hearing the matter, we felt it was not appropriate for the cabinet to take a decision on the issue today.” Will happen. The decision was taken to wait for the court’s arrangement before taking any decision.” Briefing reporters about the cabinet decisions, Madhuswamy said that the matter was sub-judice, it would not be appropriate to discuss it.
Three days holiday in all high schools and colleges of the state
The government has declared a three-day holiday for all high schools and colleges in the state after protests in favor and against the hijab intensified in different parts of Karnataka and turned violent in some places. Last week, the Karnataka government issued an order making it mandatory for students in schools and pre-university colleges across the state to wear uniforms prescribed by their own or private institutions’ management.
Congress leaders working to add fuel to the fire
Karnataka Home Minister Araga Gyanendra and Revenue Minister R Ashok on Wednesday accused the Congress of fueling the hijab controversy. Gyanendra told reporters here, “Congress leaders are adding fuel to the fire on the hijab issue. If they continue to do so in future, the people of Karnataka will throw them into the Arabian Sea.”
Meanwhile, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant prohibited any gathering, agitation for a period of two weeks from Wednesday to February 22 within a radius of 200 meters from the gates of schools, colleges, degree colleges or other similar educational institutions in Bengaluru city. Or have imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) against the demonstration. (agency)