Hijab row: SC says will protect fundamental rights of citizens, but refuses urgent hearing

The raging hijab row in Karnataka on Friday landed in the Supreme Court on Friday. The top court said it would protect the Constitutional rights of every citizen.

The Supreme Court said it will take up at an “appropriate time” the pleas challenging a direction of the Karnataka High Court asking students not to wear any religious clothing in educational institutions, and emphasised that these issues should not “spread” at “national level”.

Appearing for students, senior advocate Devdutt Kamat told a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana that the high court order has led to the "suspension of fundamental right to practice religion under Article 25 of the Constitution" and the plea be listed for hearing on Monday.

Refusing to list the plea on February 14, the bench referred to the ongoing hearing of the case in the high court and said it will protect the fundamental right of every citizen and take up the matter at an “appropriate time”.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Karnataka government, said the high court order has not even come out.

Earlier, the appeal was filed in the apex court challenging the direction of the Karnataka High Court that has asked students not to insist on wearing any religious clothing on campuses of educational institutions which can instigate people, till the matter is resolved.