The Karnataka government issued a circular on February 16 stating that the high court proposal of no religious garments in educational institutions is applicable to all minority institutions run under the state government.

Secretary for Minority Welfare, Haj and Wakf Department Major P Manivannan in a notification issued, said that the interim order of the full bench of the Karnataka High Court also applies to residential schools run under the Minority Welfare Department and Moulana Azad Model Schools (English medium).

The order effectively bans the use of hijab in minority institutions as the uniform for students in some minority institutions is hijab itself. According to the government order, students can come to campus wearing hijab but cannot attend classes.

All educational institutions run by the Minority Welfare Department have been ordered not to allow hijab, scarves, saffron shawls and other religious symbols in the classrooms

"We request the state government and all their stakeholders to reopen the educational institutions and allow the students to return to classes at the earliest. Pending consideration of all these petitions, we restrain all the students regardless of their religion or faith from wearing saffron shawls (Bhagwa), scarfs, hijab, religious flags or the like within the classroom, until further orders," the order read.

(With inputs from agencies)