"Hijab Not An Essential Religious Practice": Karnataka Government Reiterates In Court
NDTV
"A practice claimed to be essential must be mandatory and not optional," the state government told the court.
The Karnataka government on Monday reiterated that Hijab is not an essential religious practice and said religious instructions should be kept outside the educational institutions. "A practice claimed to be essential must be mandatory and not optional," the state government told the court through its Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi.
The AG quoted from four previous judgments to argue that issues like dress or food cannot be regarded as part of essential religious practices, and a pragmatic approach should be taken.
On being questioned by the court on the state's stand on whether hijabs can be permitted in educational institutions, the AG said that the government did not interfere in the matter and has left it up to the states. He referred to the Shirur mutt case and said that the state, unless it is a secular activity, should not get involved in religious practises.
When pressed further, he said that if the institutions are to permit, "we would possibly take a decision as and when the issue arises".
