Hijab case: Ban on hijab to continue in Karnataka educational institutions, says Education Minister BC Nagesh 

Following the Supreme Court’s split verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the Karnataka High Court judgement upholding the ban on hijab in educational institutions of the state, Karnataka Education Minister BC Nagesh stated that the ban on wearing of hijab in educational institutions of the state remains.

“We welcome Supreme Court verdict. We had expected a better judgement as women worldwide are demanding to not wear hijab/burqa,” the minister said as per a tweet by ANI. The Karnataka High Court’s interim order remains applicable in interim time, the minister said as per ANI.

The state government's February 5, 2022 order bans wearing clothes that disturb equality, integrity and public order in schools and colleges.

On being asked about organisations supporting wearing hijab in educational institutions, the minister said, “They will always want to split this society. They are using hijab to split the society,” as per a tweet by ANI.

A bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia delivered a split verdict on a batch of appeals against the Karnataka HC judgment, as per a tweet by LiveLaw. Justice Hemant Gupta's verdict upholds the hijab ban verdict of Karnataka HC, the tweet said.

Justice Sudhanshshu Dhulia, on the other hand, allowed all the appeals and set aside the judgment of the Karnataka HC. "It is a matter of choice, nothing more and nothing less. The foremost question in my mind was the education of the girl child. Are we making her life any better? That was a question in my mind,” as per a tweet by LiveLaw. He quashed the Government Order of February 5 and ordered the removal of the restrictions.

In light of the divergence of opinion, the matter has to be placed before the Chief Justice of India to form a larger bench, as per LiveLaw.