SC to hear after Holi plea seeking permission to wear hijab in classrooms
The Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to hear Holi vacation petitions challenging a Karnataka High Court decision that dismissed petitions seeking permission to wear hijab inside classrooms, claiming it is not an essential religious practice in Islamic faith. The bench, led by Chief Justice NV Ramana, took note of senior advocate Sanjay Hegde's submissions on behalf of some students that an urgent hearing was required due to upcoming examinations. "The urgency is that many girls have to appear in examinations," the senior lawyer told the bench, which also included Justices AS Bopanna and Hima Kohli. "Others have mentioned it as well, so we'll see... We will make a list after our vacations. "Please give us some time," the CJI said. Some petitions have been filed in response to a full bench High Court decision in which it was determined that wearing a hijab is not an essential religious practise in the Islamic faith under Article 25 of the Constitution. The petitions filed by a group of Muslim students at Government Pre-University Girls College in Udupi seeking permission to wear Hijab in class were dismissed by the high court.