Hijab Row: Here’s How Political Leaders And Religious Clerics Reacted To Allahabad HC Verdict On Wearing Hijab With School Uniform

The Allahabad High Court’s recent decision rejecting a Muslim student’s plea to wear a hijab along with her prescribed school uniform has triggered a fresh debate over religious freedom and dress codes in educational institutions, with political leaders and Muslim clerics taking sharply different positions on the order.

The court, in its August 21 judgment, dismissed the plea filed by a minor student of Tagore Public School in Prayagraj who sought permission to wear a headscarf with the school uniform. The student had argued that she had been wearing the headscarf since Class VI and that it was an essential part of her religious practice. The school, however, maintained that adding a headscarf to the prescribed uniform would violate its dress code.

The division bench of Justice J.J. Munir and Justice Indrajeet Shukla held that the petitioner had not placed sufficient material before the court to establish that wearing the hijab was an essential religious practice of Islam. The court also said that where a school's uniform policy is uniform, bona fide, non-discriminatory and intended to maintain discipline and institutional identity, a student cannot insist on modifying it.

OP Rajbhar: ‘One school, one dress code’

The verdict has received strong backing from Uttar Pradesh minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party leader Om Prakash (OP) Rajbhar.

Backing the court's position, Rajbhar argued for a common dress code in schools, saying, “One school, one dress code.” He maintained that the decision was within the constitutional framework and argued that allowing students to follow different religious attire inside schools could undermine the principle of uniformity.

Rajbhar's position is that schools should primarily remain spaces for education, where students come together under a common institutional identity rather than separate religious identities. He also questioned the Opposition's response to the judgment.

Sanjay Nirupam welcomes verdict

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam also welcomed the Allahabad High Court's decision, arguing that religious traditions should not be allowed to override the rules governing educational institutions.

Nirupam said every religion has its traditions, but maintained that such practices should primarily be observed at places of worship or at home rather than in public spaces such as schools and colleges when they conflict with institutional rules.

His comments add another political voice to the argument that educational institutions should maintain a common dress code and a uniform environment for students.

Manoj Jha: ‘No one should be pressured’

RJD leader Manoj Jha, meanwhile, struck a more cautious note, saying that “no one should be pressured” in the context of the court's dismissal of the student's plea.

His response brings the debate back to the question of individual choice and whether students should feel compelled to either adopt or abandon a religious practice in an educational setting.

Muslim clerics reject court’s reasoning

Muslim religious leaders have strongly criticised the order, particularly the court's observation that the petitioner had failed to establish hijab as an essential religious practice.

Maulana Khalid Rasheed, chairman of the Islamic Centre of India, argued that hijab is an integral part of Islam and referred to the Quranic emphasis on pardah. He maintained that Muslim girls should be allowed to wear the hijab along with the prescribed school uniform.

Rasheed argued that wearing the hijab is intended to promote modesty and should not automatically be treated as a violation of school rules. He also drew a comparison with religious symbols and practices followed by students belonging to other communities.

Saif Abbas seeks Supreme Court intervention

Shia religious leader Saif Abbas also opposed the verdict and argued that the matter should ultimately be taken to the Supreme Court.

Abbas maintained that the Quran requires women to observe hijab and that the practice is integral to Islam, while acknowledging that not every Muslim woman necessarily follows it. He argued that the student's constitutional rights should be considered and suggested that the religious argument may not have been adequately established before the High Court.

Debate over faith and uniformity

The reactions have now broadened the issue beyond the individual student's case, turning it into a larger debate over where religious freedom ends and institutional dress-code rules begin.

Those supporting the verdict are emphasising uniformity, discipline and the need for schools to maintain a common institutional identity. Critics, meanwhile, argue that a uniform should not prevent a student from observing what they consider to be an important aspect of their faith.

The Allahabad High Court's ruling also comes against the backdrop of the unresolved national debate over hijab in educational institutions. The court referred to the Karnataka High Court's 2022 judgment and noted that the Supreme Court has not conclusively settled the issue following the split verdict in that case.

Published on: Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 01:47 PM IST