Hijab Row: Karnataka High Court hearing to continue; colleges to reopen on February 16 - key points

Last week, the high court had restrained students from wearing hijab or any other religious attire until further orders. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai urged that everyone should abide by the High Court's order

Pic courtesy: IANS

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Monday adjourned the hearing on the petitions filed in connection with the hijab row in schools and colleges till Tuesday (February 15). Last week, the high court had restrained students from wearing hijab or any other religious attire until further orders.

Hijab row: CM says everyone should abide by HC order

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, "Schools up to the 10th standard have reopened today. A few incidents have been reported from various districts. A meeting would be convened to discuss the lacunae and standard operating procedures. School management, principals and the parents have the responsibility of obeying the High Court order. It will create a conducive atmosphere for the High Court to deliver its final judgment. We should maintain restraint till then."

Pre-university, degree colleges in Karnataka to reopen from Feb 16

The Karnataka government on Monday decided to reopen pre-university (Class 11 and 12) and degree colleges across the state, that were shut due to hijab row, from February 16. "At the meeting, the current situation in the state was analysed. It was decided to reopen PU and Degree colleges from Wednesday," Primary and Secondary Education Minister BC Nagesh said.

Congress distances itself from its Karnataka MLA's 'regressive' remarks on hijab

The Congress on Monday rejected the remarks made by its MLA in Karnataka that Hijab is an old practice among Muslims to not show the beauty of young girls to others. "When girls grow up, they are kept in 'purdah' to hide their beauty. Rape rate is the highest in India and it is because women are not in 'purdah'," Congress MLA from Chamrajpet Zameer Ahmed said in Karnataka."This is not compulsory but for those who don't want to show their beauty to others. Hijab is not new...," he added. But Party general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said there is no place in modern India for such "regressive views". Surjewala said, "There is no place in modern India and our society for parochial and regressive views on women as expressed by a Congress leader of Karnataka."

This is humiliating a community: Asaduddin Owaisi

A user on Twitter in his tweet alleged that students of Rotary Educational Society School in Mandya were allegedly forced to remove hijab while entering a school.  Taking note of the incidentt, President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Asaduddin Owaisi slammed the BJP-led government in Karnataka and tweeted, "This is humiliating a community, this is what happens when fundamental rights are suspended, where is my Dignity. Is this not an attempt to make us Z Category citizens? Power is not eternal. BJP must remember. Tum zameen pe zulm likh do. Aasmaan pe inquilab likha jayega."

Not an issue of discussion, everyone has the right to wear what they want: Nitish Kumar

Commenting on the ongoing Hijab controversy, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said that every person has a right to wear clothing of their choice. "If anyone wears a scarf on the head or sandalwood mark on the forehead, I believe it is not a controversial subject. Every person has a right to wear whatever they want. We have no interference. You never witness any single incident of such controversy in Bihar. It cannot be an issue of discussion," he said.

How the Hijab protests began and spread

The Hijab protests in Karnataka began in January this year when some students of Government Girls PU college in the Udupi district of the state alleged that they had been barred from attending classes. During the protests, some students claimed they were denied entry into the college for wearing hijab. Following this incident, students of different colleges arrived at Shanteshwar Education Trust in Vijayapura wearing saffron stoles. The situation was the same in several colleges in the Udupi district.The pre-University education board had released a circular stating that students can wear only the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious practices will be allowed in colleges.