Students organisation Campus Front of India said Karnataka High Court verdict on Hijab ban destructs the fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution.
In a press conference, immediately after the High court upheld hijab ban in schools and colleges on Tuesday, CFI said, “Judiciary is supposed to uphold the very rights of the citizen and maintaining the unconstitutional hijab ban is a grave injustice done to the Muslim students. This will have a grave impact on the total education in Karnataka state.”
“BJP regime is trying to implement their agenda and dehumanise a community and the High court verdict can now be a catalyst for their polarising agenda,” the students organisation claimed, adding, it is an alarming sign that judiciary interprets religious texts.
CFI has demanded to uphold rights based on the Indian constitution. “We will never accept this anti-constitutional verdict and will continue all efforts to protect the constitution and individual rights,” they said.
Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed the petitions filed by Muslim girl students, seeking protection of their right to wear hijab in educational institutions in the state.
“We are of the considered opinion that wearing of hijab by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith… The prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction that is constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object to,” the court said.
Another students organisation — Student Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) has also condemned the Karnataka High Court’s verdict on hijab, saying “Court can not be the arbiter of our faith.”
“We don’t believe that it is the job of courts to interpret what is essential or non-essential about any faith. We stand with all Muslim women students who are aggrieved by the Government Order that has been upheld by the court. We are currently seeking legal opinion on possible remedies,” said Mohammad Salman Ahmad, National President of SIO.
Following Karnataka High Court’s hijab verdict, the hijab petitioner’s lawyers have decided that they will be moving the Supreme Court.
