Former Congress minister Tanveer Sait, terming the Karnataka High Court's order upholding the government's hijab ban "unacceptable", said that the issue would be taken to the Supreme Court. Sait said this while his senior party colleagues are yet to take a stand on the HC order that wearing hijab is not an essential religious practice under Islam.
“We have decided to file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court questioning the HC order. The order is, fundamentally, unacceptable,” Sait, a former primary and secondary education minister, told reporters.
Sait, who represents Narsimharaja in Mysuru, said it was wrong to have “dragged” students into this issue when the Constitution is clear. “Religious practice or protection of a religion is fundamental in the Constitution,” he pointed out. “Instead of building the nation progressively, attempts are being made to divide children and disrupt unity. Triple talaq, laws against religious conversion and cow slaughter...all these seem to target a specific community.”
According to Sait, the Karnataka Education Act does not specify a uniform in the pre-university system. “I don’t know why the government made an issue out of this,” he said.
Follow HC order: Siddaramaiah
Meanwhile, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah said everyone must “bow down” to the HC order. “The HC decision has come. I won’t comment on the decision itself. I still haven’t read the full order. But, everyone should bow down to the order,” he said.
Asked if this was a setback to the Congress, Siddaramaiah said: “All we had said was that the hijab won’t trouble anyone as it is being worn from the beginning. So, we had said that it should be allowed. The [students] said they’d wear both hijab and uniform.”
Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar stressed the importance of education and law-and-order. “The Karnataka High Court has given a judgement but the responsibility for education, law and order and communal harmony is still with the Government of Karnataka,” Shivakumar said in a tweet.
“I appeal to the Government of Karnataka to show mature leadership and ensure: 1) That law and order is maintained in and around schools and colleges, 2) That the education of students is not hampered, regardless of religion and gender, 3) That there is communal harmony,” he said.
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