Karnataka Hijab Ban: Here's What Supreme Court Said Today On Urgent Hearing
NDTV
Against High Court's verdict that upheld Karnataka government's decision, petitions finally came up for hearing
The Supreme Court has asked for the Karnataka government's response to petitions against the High Court's refusal to lift a ban on wearing of the hijab in educational institutions. Next hearing was set for September 5, though the bench today was not pleased at some of the petitioners having sought adjournment after first asking for urgent hearing.
"We won't allow forum shopping. You only wanted urgent hearing. What changed now?” remarked the bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia.
The Karnataka High Court, in March, held that wearing of hijab is not a part of the essential religious practice that can be protected under Article 25 of the Constitution. It had dismissed petitions by a section of Muslim students from Government Pre-University Girls College in Udupi, seeking permission to wear hijab inside classroom. A number of individuals and organisations went to the Supreme Court against the verdict.
These pleas were mentioned before a bench headed by the then Chief Justice NV Ramana for urgent hearing on several occasions, but the case was not listed for hearing. It was finally put on the list in the last week of Justice Ramana's tenure, and thus came up today, which happened to be the court's first working day since new CJI UU Lalit's oath-taking.
