Karnataka High court upheld a ban on wearing the hijab in classes in the southern state of Karnataka, a ruling that could set a precedent for the rest of the country which has a big Muslim minority.
We are of the considered opinion that wearing of hijab by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practice,” Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi of the High Court of Karnataka said in the judgement.
He said the government had the power to prescribe uniform guidelines, dismissing various petitions challenging the order
The ban last month by the southern state sparked protests by some Muslim students and parents, and counter-protests by Hindu students.
However, the critics of the ban say it’s another way of marginalising a community that accounts for about 13% of Hindu-majority India’s 1.35 billion people.
