After 10 consecutive days of hearing, the Supreme Court of India reserved the judgment of the Hijab case. The hearing of the Supreme Court cases challenging the Karnataka government’s verdict on the hijab case ended on Thursday. But the bench of Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia reserved the verdict.
The Karnataka High Court ruled in this case that hijab is not essential in Islam. The High Court upheld the Karnataka government’s order that the hijab cannot be worn in the classroom even after coming to school. There were several cases in the Supreme Court challenging that verdict. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj and Advocate General Prabhulinga Navadagi argued for the Karnataka government during its 10-day hearing. Dushyant Dave, Huzefa Ahmadi and Congress leader lawyer Salman Khurshid raised questions on behalf of Muslim girls.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided offices and homes of leaders of the Popular Front of India (PFI) across the country on Thursday. An allegation that this organization is supporting the agitators in favor of hijab was filed by the Karnataka government in the Supreme Court last Wednesday.
Lawyers Dave and Huzefa Ahmadi said in the court that what the Solicitor General said about PFI’s involvement is irrelevant and malicious. No evidence has been adduced to support the statement. The judges, however, did not share their observations on the matter. He did not comment.
Davey and Ahmadi said on Thursday that hijab is mentioned in the Holy Quran. It is the duty of Muslim women to accept it. Any kind of restriction in this regard undermines Muslim women’s right to emotional and behavioral privacy. Apart from this, this ban is also hindering the development of Muslim women’s education.
Last February, the BJP-ruled Karnataka government introduced dress code in schools. Hijab was banned from entering the class. It is said that in schools where dress codes or uniforms are specified, those clothes must be worn to class. Where there is no dress code, nothing shall be worn which would disturb unity, order and balance. The Karnataka government is reluctant to accept this directive as communal.
According to them, the dress code has also banned ocher north. Some Muslim students filed a case in the Karnataka High Court against the state government’s order. On March 15, the High Court dismissed the petition and upheld the order of the state government