[BREAKING] Hijab ban issue reaches Supreme Court; CJI NV Ramana says "let High Court decide (first)"

The Hijab Ban controversy in Karnataka, which has sparked protests across the country, has now reached the Supreme Court [Fathima Bushra v. State of Karnataka]..Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal today indicated that a petition has been filed "with respect to what is happening in Karnataka"..He sought to make an urgent mentioning of the same before Chief Justice of India NV Ramana."This deals with what's happening in Karnataka. It's spreading all over the county. In the meantime, exams are two months away," he said.However, CJI Ramana said,"Wait, Mr. Sibal. Let the High Court decide. You want the matter to be transferred?"When Sibal suggested that the matter be listed and no orders be passed on it for now, the Court said,"The problem is now if we list the matter, the High Court will never hear it. Wait for one or two days.".Filed by a student of Government PU College, Kundapura in Karnataka's Udupi district, the plea raises the following grounds:- Fundamental rights of petitioner under Articles 14, 19(1)(a), 21, 25 and 29 are being violated;- Issuance of the government order by the State is beyond the purview of its powers under the Karnataka Education Act, 1963, which has nothing to do with prescription of uniforms;- Wearing of hijab is an essential religious practice of a Muslim girl/woman;- A Muslim girl pursuing her education while wearing a hijab/headscarf offends no right of any person and militates against no State interest;- Petitioner and other students are being denied entry into colleges for over a week now; no interim relief from Karnataka High Court.- Issue has pan-India ramifications which necessitate the Supreme Court's interference..Meanwhile, a Full Bench of the Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justices Krishna S Dixit and JM Khazi will hear a batch of petitions filed by female Muslims students against the ban on wearing hijab by certain Karnataka colleges. This, after Justice Dixit, sitting as a single judge, referred the matter to a larger bench on Wednesday..On Tuesday, the Court urged the student community and the public at large to maintain peace and tranquillity in the wake of protests against the order.The State has defended the ban, saying that it is not interfering with religious beliefs, and that educational institutions are not places to profess any particular religion..[Hijab Ban] Educational institution not a place to profess any religion: Karnataka government