Campus Front of India (CFI) termed the Karnataka High Court verdict as “unconstitutional”, and said the order upholding the ban on hijab on campuses is “unacceptable”.
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday upheld the State government order effectively banning the wearing of hijab by Muslim girl students in educational institutions in Karnataka.
Upholding the ban, a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, adjudicated that the wearing of hijab is not an essential religious practice in Islam.
“Wearing of hijab is not an essential religious practice in Islam and thus, is not protected under Article 25 of the Constitution”, the judgment read.
CFI called the verdict a “grave injustice done to the Muslim students,” and said it will have a grave impact on education in the state.
“The BJP regime is trying to implement their agenda and dehumanise a community and the High court verdict can now be a catalyst for their polarising agenda,” CFI stated in their press release.
“We will never accept this anti-constitutional verdict and will continue all efforts to protect the constitution and individual rights,” it added.
The Hijab protests started in Udupi towards the end of December 2021, when six students were restricted from attending class wearing the headscarf. Following media coverage of the incident, as the protests spread to several colleges, the ABVP backed by VHP and Bajrang Dal in the district accelerated counter saffron shawl protests in opposition to the Hijab.
The Karnataka High Court had temporarily banned religious clothes, including Hijab and saffron scarves after the Muslim students approached the court.