The Supreme Court of India has stayed a hijab ban imposed by a private college in Mumbai, questioning the rationale behind the restriction. The court’s interim order partly stays the college’s directive that prohibited hijabs, caps, and badges, pending a full hearing on November 18.
The bench, comprising Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and Sanjiv Khanna, criticized the college’s justification for the ban, which was defended as necessary for discipline. The court remarked on the absurdity of the ban, asking if similar restrictions might apply to other religious symbols like bindis or tilaks.
The stay follows a petition challenging the August 9 Bombay High Court ruling that upheld the ban. Lawyer Abiha Zaidi, representing the petitioners, argued that the ban disproportionately affects minority students.
In a related matter, the Supreme Court had previously issued conflicting rulings in 2022 regarding a hijab ban in Karnataka, with one judge upholding the restriction and another opposing it.
