Vijayapura: The Karnataka Bandh called by various Muslim organisations against the High Court verdict on Hijab, received lukewarm response in the District on Thursday March 17.
Though several shops and business establishments were seen shut, the majority of them belonged to Muslims with no non-Muslims shop owners extending any support to the bandh.
Several commercial areas of the City having majority of the Muslim traders, kept their business operations closed to express solidarity with the students who are fighting to wear Hijab in schools and colleges.
It may be noted that the High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday March 15 pronounced the verdict that Hijab is not an essential part of Islam, thus it quashed all the petitions filed in this regard.
The Muslim students of Udupi had gone to court against the order of the college that had prohibited wearing Hijab in schools and colleges. The students had said that the ban imposed by the college authorities was abrupt and without any prior information. Describing the ban as against the religious right of the Muslims, the students had challenged the order of the government that had banned wearing of Hijab.
The HC which heard the case on day to day basis, had reserved the order after hearing the side of the petitioners and the Government.
Finally, the three-judge bench pronounced the verdict saying that Hijab is not essential part of Islam, thus the order of the government was upheld.
The students and the Muslim organisations that felt upset with the order, decided to challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court. The petitioners filed the case which was indeed admitted in the Apex Court on Wednesday March 16, however the court refused to take the case on urgent basis, and said that it will take up the matter only after Holi vacations.
Meanwhile the organisations fighting for Muslims girls, called the verdict as anti-constitutional and called for Karnataka Bandh against the order.
Various other women organisations have appealed the Apex Court to give immediate stay to HC order.
