Hijab Ban: Hindu Sena Vice President files intervention application before Karnataka High Court

A plea has been filed before the Karnataka High Court by the Vice President of Hindu Sena seeking intervention in the ongoing Hijab ban case which is being heard by the Court [Smt. Resham and Ors. v State of Karnataka and Ors.]..The plea by Surjit Singh Yadav (applicant) said that Hindus have respect for all religions and therefore, it is expected that members of other communities reciprocate the same and maintain the public order and tranquility.The applicant placed reliance on the Supreme Court judgment in Kesavandanda Bharati v. State of Kerala to contend that secularism must subsist in a secular democracy and educational institutions are well within their rights to bar religious dresses.The applicant submitted that Indian society comprises multi-religious people, and members of each community are under the constitutional obligation to maintain peace and public order. The dress code prescribed by educational institutions are done with the basic idea to uphold the secularism of the Indian Constitution. Therefore, it is the duty of each and every citizen of India to uphold secularism, Yadav submitted..Further, the application argued that the freedom of religion under Article 25 is not absolute in a secular democracy..A full bench of the Karnataka High Court is hearing a batch of petitions filed by female Muslim students against ban on wearing hijab by certain Karnataka colleges.The matter was earlier being heard by single-judge Justice Krishna S Dixit who on February 9, referred it to a larger Bench stating that the case involves important issues.The full bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justices Krishna S Dixit and JM Khazi had on February 10 to pass an interim order, directing students not to wear hijab, saffron shawls (bhagwa) or use any religious flags while attending classes in Karnataka colleges which have a prescribed uniform in the interim.The petitioners had filed an appeal before the Supreme Court against the interim order but the top court is yet to hear the same.Read details from today's hearing here.