The Crossbill Team
The Supreme Court on Friday (August 9) stayed a circular issued by a Mumbai college that had prohibited wearing hijabs, niqabs, caps and similar attire within its premises. However, the Court specified that while burqas are not allowed in classrooms, religious activities remain prohibited on the campus.
In July of this year, Acharya and Marathe College in Mumbai's Chembur had imposed a ban on students wearing jeans and T-shirts on campus.
Last year, the same institute introduced a new dress code prohibiting hijabs and other religious identifiers. Subsequently, few Muslim women students from the college challenged this dress code in the Bombay high court.
However, the high court dismissed the petition from the group of students, stating that it would not interfere with the college’s decision. The petitioners then approached the Supreme Court to contest the high court's judgment, which had affirmed the college's instructions.
On Friday, during the hearing, the apex court reprimanded the college administration, by saying that the "girl students must have freedom of choice in what they are wearing and college cannot force them...It's unfortunate that you suddenly wake up to know that there are many religions in the country," Hindustan Times reported.
The Court issued the interim order while considering a petition filed by Muslim women students.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Sanjay Kumar, raised question on college's selective ban on religious symbols. They questioned why the prohibition did not also cover other religious markers, such as tilak and bindi, if the goal was to enforce a uniform dress code.
"Will you say that somebody wearing tilak will not be allowed?" the bench asked Senior Advocate Madhavi Divan, representing the college, Live Law reported.
In July of this year, Acharya and Marathe College in Mumbai's Chembur had imposed a ban on students wearing jeans and T-shirts on campus.
Last year, the same institute introduced a new dress code prohibiting hijabs and other religious identifiers. Subsequently, few Muslim women students from the college challenged this dress code in the Bombay high court.
However, the high court dismissed the petition from the group of students, stating that it would not interfere with the college’s decision. The petitioners then approached the Supreme Court to contest the high court's judgment, which had affirmed the college's instructions.
On Friday, during the hearing, the apex court reprimanded the college administration, by saying that the "girl students must have freedom of choice in what they are wearing and college cannot force them...It's unfortunate that you suddenly wake up to know that there are many religions in the country," Hindustan Times reported.
The Court issued the interim order while considering a petition filed by Muslim women students.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Sanjay Kumar, raised question on college's selective ban on religious symbols. They questioned why the prohibition did not also cover other religious markers, such as tilak and bindi, if the goal was to enforce a uniform dress code.
"Will you say that somebody wearing tilak will not be allowed?" the bench asked Senior Advocate Madhavi Divan, representing the college, Live Law reported.
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