Hijab row: Indian Supreme Court declines giving date for early hearing; says, 'Don't sensationalise'
Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat said the issue is urgent as students will not be able to appear in exams and lose a year. To this, Chief Justice NV Ramana said, "Exams have nothing to do with the issue. Don't sensitise."
The Indian Supreme Court on Thursday declined to give any specific date for the hearing of the hijab pleas challenging the Karnataka high court order. When senior advocate Devadatt Kamat pressed the Apex Court and said the urgency is because of the impending exams, Chief Justice NV Ramana said, 'Exams have nothing to do with the issue. Don't sensitize." Earlier, the top court refused to urgently hear the appeal and posted the matter after Holi break.
On Thursday, the case was scheduled to be mentioned before the Chief Justice of India for urgent listing. Advocate Kamat on Thursday said the students have their exams on March 28 and if they are not allowed inside the classroom without hijab, they will lose a year.
The Karnataka high court, in its recent ruling, has upheld the ban on religious clothes inside educational institutions, including hijab. The high court ruled that hijab is not an essential religious practice in Islam. The verdict has been challenged in the top court.
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Meanwhile, the high court judges Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna Dixit and Justice Khazi M Jaibunnisa who passed the hijab verdict have been provided with Y category security after they complained of receiving death threats.
According to reports, many students skipped exams owing to the hijab ban. Karnataka education minister BC Nagesh said no re-exams will be taken for those who skipped exams as there is no such provision. "Whatever the Court has said, we will abide by it. Being absent from exams will only be the prime factor and not the reason, whether it may be because of hijab row or ill-health or inability to attend or for not having studied. In the final exam- absent means absent- repeat exams cannot be held," the minister said.
