Hijab ban case: Supreme Court to hear batch of 23 petitions again on September 7

The Supreme Court Monday began hearing a batch of petitions challenging the ban on wearing hijab in educational institutions in Karnataka. 

A bench, comprising Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia, posted the matter for further hearing on September 7, Bar and Bench reported.

The petitions have challenged a Karnataka High Court verdict upholding a state government order which empowered development committees of government colleges to ban the wearing of hijab inside campuses.

Soon after the bench assembled, Justice Gupta urged senior advocate Sanjay Hegde to file a complete compilation.

Hegde responded to this saying his petition was first filed after HC judgment and has a compilation, according to sources.

The apex court had on August 29 issued notice to the Karnataka government on a batch of petitions challenging the High Court order that had upheld the state's ban on wearing hijab in educational institutions. Meanwhile, the bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia had told some of these parties, which have challenged the March 15 ruling of the Karnataka High Court, that it will not allow "forum shopping".

It may be recalled that a full bench of the Karnataka High Court had on March 15 dismissed a batch of petitions filed by Muslim girls studying in pre-university colleges in Udupi seeking the right to wear the hijab in classrooms. 

The high court had stated that wearing the hijab is not an essential religious practice in Islam and that the Freedom of Religion under Article 25 of the Constitution is subject to reasonable restriction.