'Govt Is Sensitive' : Advocate General Assures HC That Authorities Won't Act Beyond Interim Order In Hijab Case

The Advocate General of Karnataka on Monday assured the Karnataka High Court that there will be no violation by any government department of the February 10 order of the High Court, which had restrained students from wearing religious dresses in classrooms in institutions with prescribed uniforms. The AG's assurance came in response to a complaint that hijab ban was being enforced by authorities even in colleges without any dress code and policemen are deployed at the college gates to harass hijab-wearing Muslim women, including teachers. Advocate Mohammed Tahir had on Friday (February 18), appearing for a petitioner had informed the court, "The order has specifically stated that it is in respect and only confined to those colleges where the CDC has prescribed any uniform. But in spite of that, the state has extended this order and enforced it to all the schools, degree colleges, and all the colleges. Even the school teachers are not spared." He had urged the court to call for a report on how the order is being implemented. "Because Muslim community members are facing so much difficulty because of this order. Every department is interpreting it in a different manner," he had said. Following this, Advocate General Prabhuling K Navadgi had asked Tahir to submit his grievance in writing to him. Today, Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi informed the Court, "I have communicated with the Chief Secretary, by way of a letter and have asked him to convene a meeting of all concerned, if possible today or first thing tomorrow morning, to address the grievances." He added, "How they would resolve it I will communicate it to him (Advocate Tahir). But be rest assured I have orally spoken to the Principal Secretary, Education Department and others, they have assured that nothing of this sort will be done. But whatever action taken by all the officials under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary would be reported to lordships, as well as my learned friend, let him be rest assured. Nothing untoward will happen." Advocate G R Mohan appearing for another petitioner informed the court that a complaint was being made to the Child Rights Commission about the alleged violation of child rights in making them remove their hijab/burqa in front of male teachers. He said a separate room should be provided inside the college campus to remove the hijab, students should not be made to remove it at the gates of the schools. Even teachers are being made to do it. In response, Navadgi said, "Whatever it is we will take care, we will look into it. The Government is sensitive to it." The court in its February 10 order had said, "Pending consideration of all these petitions, we restrain all the students regardless of their religion or faith from wearing saffron shawls (Bhagwa), and connected matters scarfs, hijab, religious flags or the like within the classroom." Further it had clarified, "We make it clear that this order is confined to such of the institutions wherein the College Development Committees have prescribed the student dress code/uniform." The hearing on the batch of petitions challenging the hijab ban, will continue on Tuesday. Report of today's hearing here. State Hasn't Banned Hijab, Says Karnataka AG; If Institutions Permit, Will You Object? High Court Asks

'Govt Is Sensitive' : Advocate General Assures HC That Authorities Won't Act Beyond Interim Order In Hijab Case

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