Hijab Ban In Karnataka Classrooms: Why CM Backtracked His Statement?

The hijab ban imposed in educational institutions in Karnataka has not yet been revoked, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Saturday, clarifying his earlier statement. Taking to X (Twitter) on December 22, the CM had written, "I have told (officials) to withdraw the hijab ban." However, a few days later, he said to reporters, " We haven't done it yet. Someone asked me a question (on lifting the ban), and I replied that the government is considering it." He added that the decision will be taken upon discussing it at the government level.

Last week, Siddaramaiah stated that he is considering lifting the ban, saying, "PM Narendra Modi's 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' is bogus," alleging discriminatory governance by the preceding BJP that had imposed restrictions on the religious headscarf in educational institutions. Speaking at an event in Mysuru recently, CM Siddaramaiah said, "We will take back that decision, there is no hijab ban now. Women can go out wearing hijab. I have told the officials to take back the (hijab ban) order." 

ಪ್ರಧಾನಿ @narendramodi ಅವರ ಸಬ್ ಕಾ ಸಾಥ್-ಸಬ್ ಕಾ ವಿಕಾಸ್ ಎನ್ನುವುದು ಬೋಗಸ್. ಬಟ್ಟೆ, ಉಡುಪು, ಜಾತಿ, ಆಧಾರದ ಮೇಲೆ ಜನರನ್ನು ವಿಭಜಿಸುವ, ಸಮಾಜವನ್ನು ಒಡೆಯುವ ಕೆಲಸವನ್ನು @BJP4India ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಹಿಜಾಬ್ ನಿಷೇಧವನ್ನು ವಾಪಾಸ್ ಪಡೆಯಲು ತಿಳಿಸಿದ್ದೇನೆ.#Hijab pic.twitter.com/EIHU5V7zas

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) December 22, 2023

Will The Hijab Ban Be Lifted?

"Dressing and eating food is our choice, why should I object?" The Chief Minister had said at an event recently, also bringing up the halal meat restriction controversy. "Wear whatever dress you want, eat whatever you want, why should I care? We should not do politics to get votes, we don't do that," he added, as reported by Asian News International. 

In November, some educational institutions imposed restrictions on any religious clothing and jewellery as well as any kind of head covering, ahead of recruitment evaluations like the Karnataka Public Service Commission exams and the like. The hijab ban at schools and colleges came into effect in February 2022, after a controversy was sparked in the previous month.

Some pre-university students from the Udupi district were not allowed to wear the headscarf in classrooms, following which the BJP government imposed the State-wide ban. Mass protests and violence erupted in the State, and Section 144 (Joining unlawful assembly armed with a deadly weapon) was imposed in many districts to prohibit public gatherings.

Schools remained shut until February 20, 2022, on Karnataka High Court orders, stating that students cannot be allowed to wear any religious clothing till the matter is pending. Going against HC directives, petitions were filed before the Supreme Court, against the "discriminatory" ban.

On March 15, 2022, the High Court ruled that the hijab is not an essential part of religious practice, upholding the State government's ban. The verdict was challenged before the Supreme Court, which started trial in September 2022. The SC delivered a split verdict the next month.

Supreme Court Justice Hemant Gupta upheld the ban on religious clothing, stating that it applied equally to students from all religious communities, while Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia held that the ban was unconstitutional and had a more emotive response. The matter was taken to the Chief Justice of India, on which the verdict is pending.