Hijab row: Karnataka govt to wait for High Court verdict before any decision

Defending the government’s decision to enforce a dress code at colleges based on the Karnataka Education Act, Madhuswamy said the Act contains provisions for such a norm.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai (file photo)

Amid the ongoing Hijab row in Karnataka, the State Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai met Wednesday and took stock of the developments and decided not to take any decision as the matter is sub-judice in the Karnataka High Court.

After the cabinet meeting, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said, “We have not taken any decision since the matter is in Karnataka High Court. The Karnataka government will take a decision based on the verdict of the Karnataka High Court on the Hijab row.”

He further defended the government’s decision to enforce a dress code at colleges based on the Karnataka Education Act which, Madhuswamy said, provides for such a norm.

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Madhuswamy also said the matter is sub-judice and discussing it will not be appropriate, as the material and merit of the case will get involved.

Also read | How the ‘gosha tanga’ allowed Muslim girls to study in erstwhile Mysuru kingdom

Since the protests for and against hijab are increasing in the state, the government had declared a holiday at all high schools and colleges in the state for three days to control the protests.

Apart from this, the cabinet has also given consent to the Bengaluru peripheral Ring Road project to be implemented soon.

“The road will be 100-metre-wide and about 71 km. The road will be constructed on a 50-year lease basis, so the contractor, who wins the tender, will have to acquire the land, develop the Ring Road and can collect the toll, he said,” adding that about Rs 5,000 crore will be the land acquisition cost and the government will pay its share.

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