Hijab not an essential religious practice of Islam: Karnataka govt to HC
Bengaluru, Feb 18: The Karnataka government on Friday contended before the High Court that the hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam and preventing its use did not violate Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees religious freedom.
"We have taken a stand that wearing hijab is not an essential religious part of Islam," Advocate General of Karnataka Prabhuling Navadgi told the full bench of the High Court comprising Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice J M Khazi and Justice Krishna M Dixit.
The AG also rejected the charge of some Muslim girls, who challenged the Karnataka government's order on February 5 that barred students from wearing hijab or saffron scarves saying that it violated Article 25 of the Constitution.
Article 25 gives freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion to the citizens of India.
The government order also does not violate Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, Navadgi argued. Article 19(1)(a) guarantees to all its citizens the right to freedom of speech and expression.
The Advocate General also contended that the February 5 order of the state government was in accordance with the law and there was nothing to object in it.
The High Court, in its interim order pending consideration of all petitions related to the hijab row, last week restrained all the students from wearing saffron shawls, scarves, hijab and any religious flag within the classroom of PU colleges where the CDC has prescribed a uniform.
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Man arrested for keeping daughter's body at home for four months after death in Meerut
Meerut (UP) (PTI): A 72-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly keeping the body of his daughter inside their house for nearly four months after her death, officials said on Thursday.
A resident of Teli Mohalla in the Sadar Bazar police station area, Udaybhanu Biswas did not perform the last rites of his 35-year-old daughter Priyanka after her death and kept the body in a locked room of the house.
The matter came to light in April after local residents alerted police about a strong foul smell emanating from the house, they said, adding that he was formally arrested on Wednesday.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Priyanka had died due to illness on December 1, 2025. Biswas stayed in the house with the body for several days and allegedly used perfume to suppress the foul smell.
Police recovered the decomposed body from the house on April 10. The body had largely turned into a skeleton by the time it was found, sources said.
The body was sent for post-mortem examination after completion of legal formalities, they added.
According to police, Biswas is originally from West Bengal and is a retired administrative officer from the education department.
Police said he has undergone psychiatric evaluation at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Medical College and was formally arrested on Wednesday.
