Hijab ban to continue in Karnataka as SC verdict pending: Minister

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: A ban on wearing hijabs in educational institutions across Karnataka will remain in place as the matter is still pending in the Supreme Court, state school education and literacy minister Madhu Bangarappa said on Friday. Speaking to the media ahead of the upcoming SSLC examinations, Bangarappa confirmed that the existing dress code, which prohibits headscarves, will continue.

“Since the matter is in court, we will not make any further decisions… The dress code permitted by the court will remain in force,” he stated as per reports. The hijab controversy first erupted in January 2022 under the then BJP-led Karnataka government when six students from the Government PU College in Udupi were denied entry for wearing hijabs. Their protests outside the institution sparked counterprotests, with Hindu students donning saffron shawls in several schools. In response to the growing unrest, the Karnataka government issued an order on February 5, 2022, under the Karnataka Education Act, 1983, prohibiting religious attire in institutions that follow a mandated dress code.

The Karnataka High Court later issued an interim order on February 11, 2022, banning all religious symbols, including hijabs and saffron shawls, in classrooms. In March, the court upheld the government’s order, ruling that wearing the hijab was not essential to the practice of Islam. The students challenged the verdict in the Supreme Court, leading to a split decision. The matter now awaits review by a larger bench. Earlier this month, Bangarappa hinted that the Congress-led Karnataka government might reconsider the ban. Following this, state home minister G Parameshwara indicated that a meeting on the issue was likely.