Hijab controversy Updates: High Court adjourns matter for Thursday

High Court adjourns matter till Thursday

I am happy that all schools are running properly and almost all the students have attended the classes, while only in 2-3 schools the girls went back. Once we get the copy of the High Court judgment, we will make SOPs in this regard: BC Nagesh, Karnataka Minister of Primary & Secondary Education

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan is speaking just like a BJP spokesperson (on Hijab row), some of the governors in India are speaking like that: Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan

Several girls wearing hijab were not allowed to enter a college in Karnataka's Vijayapura. When they reached college, the administration asked them to remove hijab in order to gain entry. They cited the High Court's order, but the girls were adamant. Pre-university and degree colleges in Karnataka, that were shut due to controversy over hijab, reopened from today. 

The hijab row started in Karnataka in December-end when a few students of a government pre-university college in Udupi, attending classes in headscarves, were asked to leave the campus. The matter then spread to different parts of the state, with youngsters, backed by right-wing outfits, responding by wearing saffron scarves. With the protests taking a violent turn at some places last week, the state government declared a three-day holiday for the institutions. The government decided to reopen schools and colleges after the High Court passed an interim order, restraining students from wearing saffron shawls, scarves, hijab and any religious flag within the classroom. 

A girl wearing Hijab will become the prime minister of the country one day, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has said amid the controversy over Muslim women's headscarves. "If a girl decides to wear Hijab and asks her parents to do so and when her parents allow her to wear it, who can stop her from wearing it? We shall see, Inshallah," Owaisi is heard saying in a 43-second video of his address in an election rally. “The girls will wear hijab, will wear Niqab and go to colleges and become doctors, collectors, SDMs and businessmen," Owaisi said in the video, shared on his Twitter handle. "You all keep in mind, perhaps when I am not alive, a girl wearing a hijab will become the prime minister of this country one day,” he added.

The Congress has rejected remarks made by its MLA in Karnataka that Hijab is an old practice among Muslims to not show the beauty of young girls to others. Party general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said there is no place in modern India for such "regressive views". The BJP hit out at the Congress alleging that the party MLA in Karnataka has trivialised rape by claiming that those not wearing burqa invite rape. Congress MLA from Chamrajpet Zameer Ahmed said that Hijab among Muslims means in 'purdah' and is it an age-old practice. "When girls grow up, they are kept in 'purdah' to hide their beauty. Rape rate is the highest in India and it is because women are not in 'purdah'," he said in Karnataka.

Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Tuesday said authorities have been directed to identify and initiate legal action against religious organisations attempting to break the society and corrupt innocent students. "Some religious organisations are using students to try to divide the society. Instructions have been given to identify them and initiate appropriate legal action against them," the minister said in a statement. He claimed that not all but a few students were insisting that they be allowed to go to the school wearing Hijab.

The Hijab row continued to simmer in Karnataka on Tuesday over alleged denial of entry for girl students into schools with their headscarves on in some places, as one such girl announced boycotting her exam in response to the diktat. Scenes of angry parents of such children arguing with police and school authorities and an instance of a student trying to flaunt a saffron scarf as an apparent retaliation were also reported.

Several leaders from the minority community met Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in Bengaluru on Tuesday

The Karnataka BJP government on Tuesday released a list of petitioners in the ongoing Karnataka hijab controversy, who are all minors. The party alleged that Congress is using minor girls to stay relevant in politics. FULL STORY 

NCP leader Majeed Memon on Tuesday said that the teachers removing hijab before entering schools in Karnataka 'showed the malice behind it while objections on students could be arguable'. "The objection to girl students wearing hijab in schools in Karnataka is arguable due to the prescribed uniform. But objection to teachers wearing hijab exposes malice behind it by those who create a scene on the subject," Majeed Memon said. The reaction comes after multiple videos surfaced in which it was allegedly shown that students and teachers were asked to remove hijab outside the gate of the school.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has said that Muslim women must come forward to dispel misconceptions about 'hijab' and 'purdah' to counter people who are spreading hate in the name of protests against it. "My dear sisters, use this time to inform people about hijab, dispel the prejudice, express that you are not oppressed with the hijab but are respected, honoured and free with it. Your success is the success of all Muslims," said Maulana Umrain Mahfooz Rahmani, general secretary of the board in a social media session. Muslim women have freedom and are given respect and honour to the point that Jannat is said to be under the feet of the woman, he added.

Amid the ongoing hijab controversy in Karnataka, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said that he respects every religion and their rituals of worshipping. "If anyone wears a scarf on the head or sandalwood mark on the forehead, I believe it is not a controversial subject. Every person has a right to wear whatever they want. We have no interference. You never witness any single incident of such controversy in Bihar. It cannot be an issue of discussion," he said.

Expressing confidence that there will be no untoward incidents when colleges reopen, Home Minister Jnanendra said police are with educational institutions and see to it that there is no disturbance to peace. Police officials are gathering information regarding how the row got escalated, and investigation is on in this regard.

Following the court order, the government had decided to resume classes for high school students up to Class 10 from February 14, and for pre-university and degree colleges thereafter, and accordingly high schools across the state reopened today.

However, the Karnataka High Court, in its interim order pending consideration of all petitions related to the hijab row, last week had requested the state government to reopen educational institutions and restrained all the students from wearing saffron shawls, scarves, hijab and any religious flag within the classroom.

Meanwhile, Section 144 has been imposed in Bagalkot, Bangalore, Chikkaballapura, Gadag, Shimoga, Tumkur, Mysore, Udupi, and Dakshina Kannada.

Pre-university and degree colleges in Karnataka are reopening today. The High Court will resume hearing in the Hijab ban case at 2.30 pm.