Pralhad Joshi welcomes Karnataka HC verdict on Hijab, appeals for peace

New Delhi: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday welcomed the Karnataka High Court's decision to uphold the Hijab ban in educational institutions and appealed to everyone to maintain peace by accepting the order of the Court.

"I welcome the Court's decision. I appeal to everyone that the state and country have to go forward, everyone has to maintain peace by accepting the order of the High Court. The basic work of students is to study. So leaving all this aside they should study and be united," said Joshi.

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions and said that wearing a Hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam.

A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi said that no case is made out for invalidating the Government Order of February 5.

Moreover, it added that the prescription of school uniforms is a reasonable restriction which students could not object to.

The Hijab row had erupted in January this year when the Government PU College in Udupi allegedly barred six girls wearing the hijab from entering.