The Supreme Court on Friday refused to hear urgently pleas relating to the hijab row in Karnataka and said it was “watching” what’s happening in the state and in the hearing before the High Court.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana and Justices A.S. Bopanna and Hima Kohli said that they will see the issue at the “appropriate time” as the Karnataka High Court is seized of the matter and also suggested lawyers not to make it a national-level issue.
“I don’t want to express anything. Don’t take it on a larger level. We also know what is happening in the state and hearing in the High Court. You also have to think over whether it’s proper to bring it to Delhi. Definitely, we will examine and we will have to protect Constitutional rights. Let us see appropriate time, we will hear,” CJI observed.
The observation of the bench came after senior advocate Devdatt Kamat, appearing for the petitioner who filed a Special Leave Petition in the apex court against the High Court’s interim order, mentioned the matter for urgent hearing saying the order would have far-reaching implications not only for Muslims but for persons of other faiths as well.
“For example the Sikhs, they were turbans. This means a complete suspension of Article 25 rights. We are only saying same colour uniform hijabs,” Kamat contended.
To this, the bench said, “We don’t know the order.”
Appearing for the Karnataka government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta pointed out that the High Court order has not been uploaded yet on the website.
Petitioner Dr J. Halli Federation of Masajids Madaaris and Wakf Institutions approached the apex court on Friday against the Karnataka High Court’s interim order to restrain students from wearing hijab or any religious attire till the matter is pending with the court. In its plea, the petitioner contended that High Court on Thursday has sought to curtail the fundamental right of Muslim student-women by not allowing them to wear the hijab and pursue their education.
Meanwhile, police held a flag march in Udupi district as a precautionary measure for the maintenance of law and order ahead of reopening of schools up to 10th standard from 14 February which were earlier closed due to ongoing hijab row in the state. However, the reopening date of colleges has not been announced.