The Supreme Court of India on Monday issued a notice to the Karnataka state government on multiple pleas challenging the Karnataka High Court's verdict in which it upheld a ban on wearing the hijab in state-run educational institutions.
The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for September 5.
Meanwhile, the court also criticized petitioners who wanted an urgent listing, but once the matter was listed, they sought adjournment.
"First, you sought urgent hearing of the matter and now you're seeking adjournment," said the bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia. "We will not permit forum shopping," the judges said.
The bench combined approximately 23 pleas against the Karnataka High Court's conclusion in March that the hijab was not an essential practice in Islam.
The petitioners also claimed that if the ban on the hijab was not removed, hundreds of Muslim girls would lose out on their studies, as they cannot leave home without wearing the hijab.
Hijab Row
Last December, several Muslim students at the Government Pre-University College in the state's Udupi district complained that they were not allowed to enter classrooms while wearing hijabs.
Later, the hijab-donning girls were also stopped from taking exams. The school authority informed the female students that the state government had banned hijabs inside the classroom.
Subsequently, many government educational institutes banned girls from wearing hijabs on the premises.
The case triggered a massive protest by Muslim students. In response, Hindu students staged counter-protests, arguing that if the hijab is allowed inside the classroom, then, Hindu scarves should also be allowed.
In February, the Karnataka state government issued an order saying that pupils at schools and students at pre-university colleges across Karnataka must wear uniforms as prescribed by the state authorities or the management of private educational establishments.
The same month, six Muslim students submitted a petition to the High Court, saying that wearing the hijab was their fundamental right as part of freedom of religion. However, the Karnataka High Court ruled in March that wearing the Muslim headscarf is "not essential religious practice in Islam."