Bangalore: The Karnataka government reiterated Monday that hijab is not an essential religious practice. It also asserted that religious instructions should be kept outside the educational institutions.
“This is our stand that hijab is not an essential religious practice. There was a statement by Dr BR Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly where he said ‘let us keep the religious instructions outside educational institutions’,” Karnataka Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi told the full bench of the High Court, which is hearing the hijab case.
The full bench comprises Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice JM Khazi and Justice Krishna M Dixit.
According to the AG, only the essential religious practice gets protection under the Article 25, which guarantees the citizens to practice the faith of their choice. He also referred to ‘reforms in the religion’ as part of the Article 25.
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As soon as the proceedings began, CJ Awasthi said certain clarifications were required related to hijab. “You have argued that government order is innocuous and the state government has not banned hijab and not put any restrictions on it. The GO (government order) says that the students should wear the prescribed uniform. What is your stand – whether Hijab can be permitted or not in the educational institutions?” the Chief Justice asked.
In reply, Navadgi said if the institutions allow it, then the government would possibly take a decision as and when the issue arises.
Six girl students of a college in Udupi attended a press conference January 1 held by Campus Front of India (CFI) in the coastal town. They protested against the college authorities denying them entry into the classroom by wearing hijab.
This was four days after they requested the principal permission to wear hijabs in classes which was not allowed. Till then, students used to wear hijab to the campus and entered the classroom after removing the scarves, the college principal Rudre Gowda had said.