The Supreme Court is set to review a petition on August 9, challenging the Mumbai High Court’s decision to prohibit hijabs, burqas, and niqabs on campus. The petition, filed by a Mumbai college, was brought to the attention of the Chief Justice of India (CJI), who has agreed to hear the case.
Petitioner’s Claims
The petitioners argue that the ban infringes on their fundamental rights, including the right to practice their religion, the right to privacy, and the right to personal choice. They describe the college’s actions as arbitrary, unfair, unlawful, and perverted.
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College’s Stance
The college, Acharya and Marathi College in Chembur, Mumbai, maintains that its dress code policy is longstanding and not discriminatory. It had previously dismissed a petition from nine female science students, who are in their second and third years. The college’s administration asserts that the rule, which also prohibits wearing badges and caps, is consistently enforced and not a recent change.
Principal Vidya Lele emphasized that the college’s dress code applies equally to all students, regardless of caste or religion, and that the institution does not harbor biases against any group.
