Bengaluru
A three-judge bench of the Karnataka High Court will continue hearing the petitions of six girl students who have been barred from entering a Karnataka college for wearing hijab on Friday.
The counsel for petitioners Ravivarma Kumar, Devdatt Kamat, and Yusuf Muchchala argued against the ban imposed by the colleges and said it amounted to discrimination against the girl students based on their religion.
Ravivarma Kumar argued for lifting the interim order of the Court prohibiting Muslim girl students from wearing hijab to classes. He argued that the government is misusing the interim order issued by the court to target Muslim students.
Ravivarma Kumar said the February 5 order of the college authorities targeted the hijab while other religious symbols are not taken into consideration for the ban. He said this leads to hostile discrimination leading to. The counsels for petitioners said if a bindi-wearing girl or a bangle-wearing woman is allowed to not be banned from entering the school why is a Hijab-wearing girl discriminated against.
The three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and comprising Justice Krishna S. Dixit and Justice Khaji Jaibunnesa Mohiyuddin, also rejected the request for interventions by other petitioners. The court observed that the petitioners were being represented by senior advocates and there was not need for the interventionists at this stage.
Meanwhile, students staged a protest before the District Commissioner's office in Shivamogga district amid curfew orders demanding permission to wear hijab to classes. District Commissioner Dr R. Selvamani met the students and took a memorandum from them.
Also, the six girls from Udupi who started the hijab protest, have decided to remain absent from the college until the final order.
Meanwhile, police had a tough time as about 340 students in Hassan blocked the road holding placards in support of the hijab. Deputy SP warned them of action after which they dispersed.
A tense situation is prevailing at Sarala Devi College in Bellary as hijab-wearing students joined by parents refused to go back even after several requests from the college and police authorities were made.
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