Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, March 3: The Supreme Court on Friday said that it will constitute a bench to hear the Hijab case which deals with the Karnataka’s ban on Muslim girl students wearing the hijab (headscarf) in the college campus.
A bench of the Chief Justice of India (CJI), DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala, and PS Narasimha heard the case and was urged to list it for hearing on the students’ interim request to take upcoming exams while covering their heads.
The CJI initially stated that the matter would be listed after the forthcoming Holi vacation for the top court.
“But exams are after 5 days,” the lawyer said.
“You are coming on the last day,” the CJI said.
“It was mentioned twice and 10 days ago as well,” the lawyer replied.
“Ok, I will constitute a bench and hear it,” the CJI assured.
The case was earlier mentioned on two occasions, January 23 and February 22.
In the case challenging the government order (GO), which effectively gave government universities in the State the authority to forbid Muslim female students from wearing the hijab on college campuses, a division bench of the Supreme Court issued a split decision in October of last year.
The State’s ban had been initially contested before the Karnataka High Court, which upheld it. The situation then made it to the Supreme Court.
A larger panel had to hear the issue because Judge Sudhanshu Dhulia overturned the order but Justice Hemant Gupta, who is since retired, upheld it.
The petitioners claim that the impacted students transferred from government colleges to private colleges as a result of the Supreme Court’s divided decision in the case.
However, since exams can be held only in government colleges, directions have to be issued so that they would be permitted to appear for the exams wearing hijab.
