Karnataka High Court dismisses petitions filed by Muslim girls seeking permission to wear hijab in the classroom.

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday stated that wearing hijab is not an essential religious practice, and dismissed the writ petitions filed by Muslim girl students seeking permission to wear hijab in colleges.

Five petitions were filed in the High Court challenging the ban and in a huge setback to the students, the HC upheld the ban on wearing the hijab in classrooms in the State.

A full bench of the Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice JM Khaz has been hearing the case on a day-to-day basis since February 10. In its interim order, the bench asked the state government to reopen the educational institutions, which were hit by the agitation, and restrained students from wearing hijab and saffron scarves in the classroom till the final order is delivered.

The court said, '“pending consideration of all these petitions, we restrain all the students regardless of their religion or faith from wearing saffron shawls, scarfs, hijab, religious flags or the like, within the classroom, until further orders.” It had said the order “is confined to such institutions wherein the college development committees have prescribed the student dress code/ uniform.”

The petitioners told the court that wearing the hijab was a fundamental right guaranteed under India's constitution and essential practice of Islam.

Ahead of the order, the state government banned large gatherings for a week to maintain public peace and order in the capital city and in Mangalore Schools and colleges were closed in Udupi today.

The petitioners are likely to go to the Supreme Court challenging the HC orders.