Appeal to everyone to maintain peace: Basavaraj Bommai says ahead of HC hearing on 'hijab' row
New Delhi(PTI): Ahead of the Karnataka High Court hearing on a petition over the 'hijab' row, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday appealed to everyone to maintain peace and said his government will take steps after the court's order.
He also asked educational institutions to follow mandatory uniform rules issued by the government until the court's order comes out.
Speaking to reporters after landing in the national capital, Bommai said, "The matter is before the high court and it will be decided there. Therefore, I appeal to everyone to maintain peace and no one should take steps to disturb the peace."
"All should follow the state's order (on uniform) and tomorrow the court's decision will come and, therefore, we will take steps," he added.
The Karnataka High Court will on Tuesday hear the petitions filed by five girls studying in a Government Pre-University College in Udupi, questioning the restriction on wearing hijab in college.
Bommai noted that the Constitution has mentioned in several ways what kind of dress to be worn in schools and colleges and even the state's Education Act has made it clear in the Rules.
Asked why the 'hijab' row has refused to die down in the state, the CM said this issue is not limited to Karnataka as it has been discussed in a big way in states such as Kerala and Maharashtra where the matter was decided by high courts.
The Karnataka government on February 5 had issued an order making uniforms prescribed by it or managements of private institutions mandatory for its students at schools and pre-university colleges across the state.
The issue has refused to die down across the state as a section of Muslim girls are adamant on wearing headscarves to college, while the state government has cracked the whip making uniforms mandatory for students attending classes in educational institutions.
There have been several instances during the last few days, especially in coastal Karnataka, where some Muslim girl students, turning up in hijab, were not being allowed into classes, and Hindu boys responding with saffron shawls, also being barred from classes.
The hijab row has also taken a political colour, as the ruling BJP has stood strongly in support of uniform-related rules being enforced by educational institutions, calling the headscarf, a religious symbol, while the opposition Congress has come out in support of protesting Muslim girls.
The issue that initially began in January at a Government PU College in Udupi where six students who attended classes wearing headscarves in violation of the stipulated dress code were sent out, has spread to a few other colleges in the city and in nearby Kundapur and Byndoor.
There have also been reports of similar instances of students turning up at educational institutions with either hijab or saffron shawl in Ramdurg PU College in Belagavi and a college in Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga, and also a group of girls staging demonstration in Mysuru and Kalaburagi in favour of the hijab.
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Cash row: Probe panel confirms allegations against Justice Varma, CJI seeks his reply
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court-appointed panel has confirmed the cash discovery allegations against Allahabad High Court's Justice Yashwant Varma in its inquiry report, sources have said. Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna is also learnt to have nudged the judge to step down in view of the critical findings in the report.
The CJI has forwarded the panel's report to Justice Varma and sought his reply following the principle of natural justice, the sources said.
The report was submitted to the CJI by the three-member panel comprising Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice G S Sandhawalia and Justice Anu Sivaraman of the Karnataka High Court. It was finalised on May 3.
The panel analysed evidence and recorded the statements of over 50 people, including Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora and Delhi Fire Service chief who were among the first responders to the fire incident at Justice Varma's Lutyens Delhi residence at around 11.35 pm on March 14. He was Delhi High Court judge at the time.
Sources said the panel found clear evidence to confirm the allegations that a huge stash of cash was found in the storeroom of Justice Varma's official residence at the time of fire incident. The allegation was repeatedly denied by the judge in his reply to the Delhi High Court chief justice.
The sources said CJI Khanna, who is set to superannuate on May 13, is likely to take the issue to its logical conclusion and has informally discussed the findings of the report with senior collegium members of the apex court.
The controversy was raised following a news report in the cash discovery row and led to several steps, including a preliminary inquiry by Delhi High Court Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya, judicial work being taken away from Justice Varma in the Delhi High Court, and later his transfer to the Allahabad High Court sans judicial work.
On March 24, the apex court collegium recommended the repatriation of Justice Varma to his parent Allahabad High Court.
On March 28, the top court asked the chief justice of the Allahabad High Court not to assign any judicial work for now to Justice Varma.
