New Delhi: Hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Karnataka High Court verdict refusing to lift the band on hijab in educational institutions, the SC on Wednesday asked the AG presenting the state govt to submit the charge sheet disclosing the role of PFI in the hijab agitations that took place in various districts of Karnataka.
Karnataka Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi leading the petitioners, hinted at the role of the organisations like Popular Front of India (PFI) saying that “there were some groups which were actively associated…”
At the hearing before the bench comprising Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, Navadgi highlighted the NALSA verdict that spoke about the concept of dress for Transgenders. He further stated that the right to wear a hijab or whatever dress in a school in defiance of the uniform rule is not a fundamental right.
“They have to establish what is the expression they want to convey and to whom they want to convey. They say they wear hijab as Islam mandates. That is no expression,” he stated.
“We have not prohibited hijab outside, there is no restriction on wearing in school transport. There is no restriction even on the school campus. It is only in the classroom… When it was asserted militantly that I want to wear a hijab, and there was opposition, what do I do as a school principal? My concern was to run the school, to bring the children together without animosity. The Govt order was under these considerations,” Navadgi added.
Several petitions have been filed with the SC challenging the state govt order passed on February 5th which were previously dismissed by the HC.