After over a month of controversy over wearing hijab to college, a writ petition has been filed in the Karnataka High Court by a Muslim girl student from Udupi seeking a declaration that wearing a hijab is a fundamental right.
As many as six students were barred from wearing hijab inside classrooms as it was against the uniform policies of the school in Udupi. The girls have been asked to attend online classes till the issue is resolved.
Advocates Shathabish Shivanna, Arnav A Bagalwadi and Abhishek Janardhan have moved the high court on behalf of the petitioner.
The plea states that the Indian constitution guarantees the Freedom of Conscience and the right to profess, practise and propagate religion.
A protesting student, who did not want to be named, said, ¡°We are asking for our fundamental rights and nothing else. The college is trying to portray us in a bad light for demanding our rights. We are not allowed inside the college till we fall in line. It has been 20 days, and they have marked us absent.¡±
The principal of the Government Women¡¯s Pre-University College maintained that wearing a hijab is a violation of the college uniform code.?
The government has sided with the principal, calling wearing hijab an act of indiscipline.
The college, built in 1985, has around 700 students, including 70 Muslim students, studying in the Science, Arts and Commerce branches.
It has formed a committee to look into setting up a strict uniform code for educational institutions.?
Udupi MLA and college development authority president K Raghupati Bhat said that from February 1, the students would not be allowed, adding that students will not be permitted to create any chaos or confusion on the college campus.
College Development Committee Vice President Yashpal Suvarna had recently told the newspaper, Deccan Herald, that of the 150 students in the college, none have raised any demands.
¡°These girls who are members of Campus Front of India (CFI) are keen on creating controversy,¡± he said.
He also said that the uniform was introduced to ¡°offer an egalitarian approach to education, as there are many poor women studying in the college¡±.
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