The development comes after Advocate General Prabhuling Navadagi, appearing for the state, opposed the grant of interim relief to allow students to attend colleges wearing hijab
The deepening hijab controversy. ANI
The single-judge bench of the Karnataka High Court hearing the case related to the Hijab ban in school-college campuses referred the matter to a larger bench on Wednesday.
The development comes after Advocate General Prabhuling Navadagi, appearing for the state, opposed the grant of interim relief to allow students to attend colleges wearing hijab.
“An interim order at this stage will amount to allowing the petition,” he said.
Justice Krishna Dixit, referring the case to a panel of judges led by the Chief Justice of the high court, said: “These matters give rise to certain constitutional questions of seminal importance in view of certain aspects of personal law.”
“The bench is of the view that the interim prayers should also be placed before a larger bench that may be constituted by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi exercising his discretion,” he added.
The political slugfest in Karnataka over headscarves has been intensifying with fresh demonstrations on Tuesday and officers firing tear gas to disperse a crowd at one government-run campus, while a heavy police presence was seen at schools in nearby towns.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai appealed for calm after announcing all high schools in the state would be closed till Friday, 11 February.
Karnataka bans protests near Bengaluru schools, colleges for 2 weeks
Under the order of the city police chief, any gathering, agitation or protests will not be allowed within a 200-meter radius of any school, college and other educational institutions for two weeks, following developments around the hijab controversy in the state.
The order will remain in effect till 22 February.
The official order read, “Kamal Pant, IPS, Commissioner of Police and Additional District Magistrate, Bengaluru City, hereby prohibit any gathering, agitation or protest of any type within the area of 200 mtrs radius from the gate(s) of the Schools, PU Colleges, Degree Colleges or other similar Educational Institutions in Bengaluru City, for a period of two weeks with immediate effect i.e. from 9-2-2022 to 22-2-2022.”
The order highlighted that, in the last few days, protests and agitations have been held in connection with strict enforcement of schools/colleges Uniform Rules. “Whereas, at some places, these protests have lead to violence, disturbing public peace and order. Since the possibility of similar agitations/protests being held in Bengaluru city cannot be ruled, it is very essential to initiate proper security measures to maintain public peace and order in Bengaluru city,” it read.
The hijab protests began in January this year when some students at the Government Girls PU college in Udupi district in Karnataka 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 Udipi 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.
As per ANI, following these protests, a three-day holiday from 9 February has been declared in all the universities under the Department of Higher Education and colleges under the department of Collegiate and Technical Education (DCTE).
On Tuesday, the Karnataka High Court also appealed to the student community and the public at large to maintain peace and tranquillity while hearing various pleas challenging a ban on hijab in the state.
Hijab row in Karnataka schools, colleges out of hand because of BJP: Oppn
Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Wednesday accused Congress leaders of triggering tensions in the state over the ongoing hijab row.
“Congress leaders are pouring ghee on to the burning flame in Karnataka. Their statements are triggering more tension in the state,” said Jnanendra.
The minister also refuted a claim by Karnataka Pradesh Congress chief DK Shivakumar that a student in a college replaced the National flag with a saffron flag stating that Shivakumar falsely accused the students of taking down the national flag and that there was no tricolour flying in the college, ANI said in a report.
“DK Shivakumar has spoken irresponsibly and triggered more tension. It is such an irresponsible and slanderous statement that is coming from a senior Congress leader. We should not instil religious feelings in the minds of students,” he said.
“The Congress is currently in the opposition position in the state, and if the same trend continues, the people will throw the party into the Arabian Sea,” he added.
Shivakumar on Tuesday tweeted, “The situation in some Karnataka educational institutions has gone so out of hand that in one case the National flag was replaced by a saffron flag.”
“Some anti-national elements allied with BJP have brought down the national flag in a college in Shimoga,” reads another tweet.
With inputs from agencies
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