One of the Muslim girl students denied entry to a Pre-University College in Udupi filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court on 31 January, seeking a declaration that students have a right to wear a hijab, and for the college to be directed to allow them to attend their classes without interference.
The PU College in Udupi, a government-run institution, had denied several Muslim girls entry to classes on 28 December 2021 as they had sought to wear a hijab (headscarf) along with their school uniform, in accordance with their religious traditions.
The writ petition filed by Rehman Farooq argues that wearing a hijab is part of the girls' essential religious practices, and refusal to allow them to enter the college is, therefore, a violation of their fundamental right to practise their religion under Article 25 of the Constitution, as well as Article 14 (right to equal treatment).