Hijab row: Karnataka High Court refers matter to larger bench

The decision on interim order regarding uniform and wearing of hijab shall also be taken by the Chief Justice, says Justice Krishna S Dixit

The single judge of the Karnataka High Court hearing the case related to the Hijab ban in school-college campuses referred the matter to the Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi on Wednesday with a view that the CJ may decide on constituting a larger bench to look into the case.

Justice Krishna S Dixit who was hearing since Tuesday a batch of petitions against Hijab ban in classrooms, maintained that these matters give rise to certain constitutional questions of seminal importance in view of certain aspects of personal law.

"In view of the enormity of questions of importance which were debated, the court is of the considered opinion that the Chief Justice should decide if a larger bench can be constituted in the subject matter," Justice Dixit said.

"The bench was also of the view that the interim prayers should also be placed before larger bench that may be constituted by Chief Justice Awasthi exercising his discretion," Justice Dixit noted in the order.

The Hijab row had spread to more colleges in Karnataka on Tuesday and taken violent turn in many campuses in different parts of the State, with spiralling protests for and against wearing of the headscarf by Muslim women students.

The petitions were filed by some Muslim girls studying in Government Pre-University colleges in Udupi district against a ban on their entry into classrooms with their hijabs on.