Hijab row: Govt's new order, students' new demand | Karnataka High Court hearing

With the hijab controversy in Karnataka still blazing, Muslim girl students reportedly raised a fresh demand in the Karnataka High Court.

The petitioners sought permission to wear hijab inside classrooms on Fridays, and during the month of Ramzan, as per reports. The petitioners lawyer reportedly said that there was "mass hysteria" in the country over the hijab issue, and that the Islamic headdress was not against "health or morality".

The hearing is slated to continue on February 18.

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Meanwhile, the Karnataka government issued a fresh order for schools managed by the minority welfare department, including the Maulana Azad Model English Medium Schools. The students of these schools have been instructed to not wear saffron scarves, hijab, or any religious flags, as per reports. The government cited the High Court's interim order on uniforms in educational institutes.

With the issue continuing to dominate headlines, the BJP government led by CM Basavaraj Bommai reportedly claimed that the tussle over hijab is limited to only 8 out of 75,000 high schools and pre-university colleges in the state.