A three-judge bench of the Karnataka High Court, headed by the Chief Justice of the state, starts hearing a case to decide if schools and colleges can order students to not wear the hijab in classrooms.
The High Court on Wednesday referred the case to a larger bench in view of "the enormity of questions of importance which were debated".
"These matters give rise to certain constitutional questions of seminal importance in view of certain aspects of personal law," the judge hearing the case had said while referring it to a panel of judges to be led by the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court Ritu Raj Awasthi.
The case had been filed by a group of Muslim girls studying in government colleges in the Udupi district against a ban on wearing hijabs in classrooms.
Muslim girls at a government school in the state were recently denied entry into the classroom for wearing headscarves, which authorities claim is not allowed. These women have been protesting against the move, saying they should not be denied an education for their choice of clothes.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai appealed for calm after announcing all high schools in the state would be closed for three days.
Here are the LIVE Updates on the Hijab Row:
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Feb 10, 2022 14:50 (IST)
Three-judge Bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and also comprising Justices Krishna S Dixit and JM Khazi begins hearing various petitions
