The Karnataka State Minorities Educational Institutions Managements’ Federation on Thursday moved the High Court of Karnataka questioning the legality of the February 5 Government Order (GO) on wearing uniforms prescribed by the College Development Committees and other authorities concerned.
Appearing for the petitioner-federation, advocate G.R. Mohan requested a three-judge Bench, headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, to post the petition for hearing on Friday.
However, the Bench, also consisting of Justice Krishna S. Dixit and Justice Jaibunnisa M. Khazi, told him that petition would be posted for hearing provided that petition is in order as per the court’s rules.
As the main arguments on behalf of the petitioner Muslim girl students has been completed on Thursday, Advocate-General Prabhuling K. Navadgi said that he would start his arguments on Friday as he did not anticipate the arguments on behalf of the petitioners would be concluded on Thursday.
Dismissed
Earlier, the Bench dismissed a PIL petition filed by Mohammed Arif Jameel, a social activist, who had contended that restriction on wearing of hijab is violation of international treaties and conventions of the United Nations. The petition was dismissed as it was filed without adhering to the mandatory norms prescribed in the rules.
Hijabs on Fridays
In another PIL, Vinod G. Kulkarni, a Hubballi-based neuropsychiatrist, requested the court to allow Muslim girls to wear hijabs at least on Fridays and during Ramzan.
Dr. Kulkarni, who personally argued his petition, said that hijab issue was creating mass hysteria and affecting mental health of people, particularly poor Muslim girls.
When Bench pointed out to him that his two prayers are contradictory to each others as his first plea wants wearing of stipulated uniforms by the students in schools and the second prayer pleads for allowing hijab for Muslim girls, Dr. Kulakarni said, “We cannot say hijab is not part of uniform.” “Banning hijab is tantamount to banning Quran,” he contended.
