3 Islamist leaders booked for giving death threats to Karnataka HC judges over Hijab verdict

Madurai: Three members of Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath (TNTJ) have been booked for issuing death threats to the judges of Karnataka High Court who gave their verdict on hijab.

The TNTJ activists - Covai R Rahmatullah, Asan Batsha and Habibullah - have been booked under various IPC sections, including wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot.

The death threats were issued by Rahamatullah, who is TNTJ President, at a public meeting in Madurai regarding the Karnataka High Court's ruling on Thursday In a video that has gone viral on social media, Rahmatullah is seen saying that the judges will be responsible for their death if they are killed.

The verdict was pronounced by a three-judge bench comprising Karnataka Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice JM Khazi.

Rahmatullah said the Court's verdict is invalid and illegal, and also alleged that the verdict was handed out on the behest of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

He also alleged that the verdict was delivered on personal beliefs of the judges, instead of Constitutional norms.

Rahmatullah is also seen saying that the Muslims are not afraid of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Shah, but afraid of Allah.

Last month, eight Muslim girl students from a government pre-university college in Udupi filed a petition in Karnataka High Court to permit them to attend classes wearing hijab.

They were denied entry into classes after the college management made it clear that the hijab is not part of the uniform. Since then, the students have launched protests while being dressed in burqas in defiance of the uniform rules implemented since December 2021.

These students went on protest with the backing of the Campus Front of India (CFI) and the student wing of the Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) in October 2021. The students have admitted being in consultation with the CFI.

Subsequently, students approached the Court, but it ruled that hijab is not an essential religious practice and not mandatory for Muslim women.

The Court also held that no case is made out for invalidating the Government Order of February 5, 2022.

Following the verdict, liberals and Islamists took to social media to cast aspersions on the independence of the judiciary. (UNI)