Prominent Kashmiri leaders like Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have expressed their disappointment at the verdict of the Karnataka High Court in the hijab row case.
“Karnataka HC’s decision to uphold the Hijab ban is deeply disappointing. On the one hand, we talk about empowering women, yet we deny them the right to a simple choice. In a tweet, it isn’t just about religion but the freedom to choose,” former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said.
“Very disappointed by the verdict of the Karnataka High Court. Regardless of what you may think about the hijab, it’s not about an item of clothing, it’s about the right of a woman to choose how she wants to dress. That the court didn’t uphold this basic right is a travesty,” Omar Abdullah, also a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir tweeted.
On Tuesday, the Karnataka High Court dismissed the petition on hijab, upholding the ban on wearing hijab in educational institutions. The court said that wearing a hijab does not fall under essential religious practices protected under freedom of religion.