Hijab Row: Karnataka High Court to hear petition today; schools, colleges shut for 3 days - key points

Bengaluru: The hijab row in Karnataka is intensifying with colleges across Karnataka and several other parts of the country seeing protests surrounding the issue. Starting today (February 9), schools and colleges in the state will be closed as the BJP government has declared a three-day holiday for institutes against the backdrop of the hijab crisis.

The holiday has been declared in all the universities under the Department of Higher Education and colleges under the department of Collegiate and Technical Education (DCTE), Minister of Higher Education Dr CN Ashwatha Narayana had said on Tuesday (February 8). However, the examinations scheduled on these dates will be held as scheduled, he has clarified. The 3-day holiday starting from February 9 up to February 11 is applicable for government, aided, unaided degree colleges, diploma, and engineering colleges, the minister stated.

"The government has taken this decision in order to ensure the maintenance of law and order in the state till the court pronounces its verdict regarding the petition related to the matter. Wearing Hijab or Saffron shawl is not permitted in classes of educational institutions. No one should venture to take law into their own hands. Ultimately the verdict of the court should be honoured," added the minister.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai requested the students to wait until the court order and not to get provoked. "All the concerned people (in the Udupi hijab row) should keep the peace and let children study. The matter will be presented in High Court today, let's wait for it," CM Bommai said.

The Karnataka High Court had also appealed to the students and people to maintain peace as the hijab row escalated in parts of the state. “People should have faith in the Constitution. Only a mischievous section will keep the issue burning. But making agitation, going on the street, shouting slogans, attacking students, students attacking others...these are not good things,” justice Krishna S Dixit said while deferring the hearing to Wednesday. The court will take up the matter again today.

The Opposition parties, meanwhile, on Tuesday staged a walkout of the Lok Sabha in the ongoing Budget Session of the Parliament in protest over the Karnataka hijab row. The political parties that staged a walkout of the Lower House include Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India (CPI), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).

From Assauddin Owaisi to Omar Abdullah, several politicians have commented on the hijab row, with the issue turning political. Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai has also hit out at Indian leaders and asked them to stop the marginalisation of Muslim women. Malala said refusing to let girls go to school in their hijabs is 'horrifying'. 

The ripple of the hijab-row could be felt even in Delhi. A students' outfit at Delhi University (DU) on Tuesday protested against hijab restrictions in Karnataka. The Muslim Students' Federation protested outside the Arts Faculty in DU North Campus. The gathering comprised 50 students, including women, who were wearing hijabs.

The problem began when last month, six students of Government Girls PU college in Udupi, alleged that they had been barred from classes for insisting on keeping on the hijab. The pre-University education board had released a circular stating that the students can only wear the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious practices will be allowed in colleges. The protests then spread to more colleges in Udupi and other cities like Mandya and Shivamogga.