Indian Supreme Court panel divided over school hijab ban

An Indian Supreme Court panel said on Thursday it was divided over a ban on hijabs in schools, and referred the matter to the chief justice, leaving in place a state’s ruling against the women’s headgear that has sparked uproar.

In February, Karnataka in southwestern India became the only state to ban the headscarf in schools, triggering protests by Muslim students and their parents.

Meanwhile, Hindu students have staged counter-protests, adding to frictions at a time when some Muslims already complain of marginalization under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government.