No hijab, saffron shawls in classroom: Karnataka High Court

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court, in its interim order pending considerations of all petitions related to the Hijab row, has requested the state government to reopen educational institutions and restrained all the students from wearing saffron shawls, scarves, Hijab and any religious flag within the classroom.

The court also made it clear the order was confined to such of the institutions wherein the College Development Committees have prescribed the student dress code or uniform.

"We request the State Government and all other stakeholders to reopen the educational institutions and allow the students to return to the classes at the earliest. Pending consideration of all these petitions, we restrain all the students regardless of their religion or faith from wearing saffron shawls (Bhagwa), scarfs, hijab, religious flags or the like within the classroom, until further orders," the full bench of the Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice J M Khazi said in their order, made available on Friday.

In their order, the judges expressed their pain over the ongoing agitations and closure of educational institutions for the past few days, "especially when this Court is seized of this matter and important issues of constitutional significance and of personal law are being seriously debated".

The court also noted that India is a country of plural cultures, religions and languages. Being a secular state, the country does not identify itself with any religion as its own, the bench said, adding, every citizen has the right to profess and practice any faith of choice.

"Ours being a civilized society, no person in the name of religion, culture or the like can be permitted to do any act that disturbs public peace and tranquility. Endless agitations and closure of educational institutions indefinitely are not happy things to happen," the court observed.