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

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).