Hijab Row: Muslim panel praises Justice Dhulia's verdict, asks Karnataka govt to withdraw case

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has praised Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia's observation in the hijab ban case, saying that his approach is in line with the Constitution and "ideals of individual freedom".

On Thursday, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court gave a split verdict in the case of hijab ban in Karnataka's educational institutions. While Justice Hemant Gupta dismissed the appeals challenging the Karnataka High Court judgment which had refused to lift the ban, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia held that wearing of hijab is a matter of choice and there shall be no restrictions its wearing anywhere in the schools and colleges of the state.

"Justice Dhulia has focused on promoting girls'



education and removing barriers to their education—an aspect that is certainly welcomed and is missing from Justice Hemant Gupta's judgment," AIMPLB said in a statement.

The Muslim panel further requested the Karnataka government to withdraw its order on hijab.

"The government should note that women's education in India, particularly among the Muslim community, is already receiving inadequate attention. The government should not support any measure that creates obstacles in women’s education. Rather, the government must support a harmless practice, evidently significant to these young girls, and abstaining from it puts these girls in an uncomfortable situation," the AIMPLB statement read.