Karnataka HC Declines Plea Of Muslim Girls To Stop Live Streaming Of Hearing Of Hijab Cases

The Full Bench of the Karnataka High Court hearing the case related to hijab row in educational institutions today declined a plea to restrain live streaming of proceedings.

As soon as the proceedings began, Advocate Ravi Varma Kumar, representing Muslim girls questioning the ban on wearing hijab in classrooms, claimed that live streaming was causing a lot of unrest in the society as the observations were taken out of context.

According to him, live streaming has become "counterproductive and children were put to hardship all over the state".

However, Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi said: "Let the people understand what is the stand of the respondents also."

As a few more fresh petitions were filed, Justice Awasthi requested the petitioners that the counsels for the fresh petitions can take only 10 minutes so that respondents can also be heard.

The Full Bench of the High Court comprises Justice Awasthi, Justice J M Khazi and Justice Krishna M Dixit.

The High Court, in its interim order pending consideration of all petitions related to the hijab row, last week restrained all the students from wearing saffron shawls, scarves, hijab and any religious flag within the classroom.

The hearing of the cases are being live-streamed from the very beginning and the arguments of the petitioners had finished, when the request for stopping the live streaming of the hearing was made. 

Earlier, a request was made on behalf of the same party to adjourn the hearing till voting in the ongoing elections in various states concludes. That request was also declined by the Court.

With PTI inputs