Indian Student Appeals Headscarf Ban to Supreme Court

New Delhi, MINA – A few hours after the decision of the Karnataka High Court forbidding the hijab from entering middle school and college classes, the plaintiff’s student filed an appeal to the Supreme Court.

The plaintiffs said the Karnataka High Court ruling was “unconstitutional”. Siasat Daily reported on Tuesday.

The plaintiff filed an appeal through the attorney of the Supreme Court, Anas Tanwir.

The appeal was filed by two Muslim students, Manan and Niba Naaz.

Their advocate Anas Tanwir said, “The Petitioners humbly state that the High Court has erred in creating the dichotomy of freedom of religion and freedom of conscience. The court has concluded that those who adhere to a religion cannot have the right to a conscience.”

He added that the High Court had failed to note that the right to wear the hijab is protected as part of the right of conscience under Article 25 of the Indian Constitution.

It was also stated that the right to conscience is basically an individual right, the ‘Essential Religious Practice Test’ should not be applied by the High Court in this case.

Three Karnataka High Court judges led by Ritu Raj Awasthi ruled that the hijab did not qualify as an essential Islamic practice. So that school clothes sided with the dress code of state-run colleges. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)