The Karnataka state government will provide
Y-category security to three judges of the High Court, including Chief Justice Raj
Awasthi, who recently upheld the ban on hijab in the state’s educational
institutions, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Sunday.

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Bommai was quoted by ANI as saying that he
had decided to give ‘Y’ category security to all the three judges who had given
the hijab verdict.

“We’ve decided to give ‘Y’ category
security to all three judges who gave the Hijab verdict. I have instructed DG
and IG to probe the complaint filed in Vidhanasoudha PS thoroughly in which
some people gave life threats to the judges.”

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Bommai’s statement came after a video went
viral on social media where a man is seen issuing threats against the three
judges. “This is one of the alarming signs in democracy and we should ensure
that these kinds of anti-national forces don’t grow. Law and order are in place
in the country because of the judiciary,” the chief minister said outside his
residence on Sunday.

“I am also questioning the pseudo seculars who are remaining silent. This is not secularism, but communalism. We have to stand together and protest against this act,” Bommai added.

Also Read: Beyond India’s borders, a brief history of the Hijab ban

Justices Krishna Dixit and Khazi M
Jaibunnisa are the other judges of the three-member bench. Two people have been
arrested in Tamil Nadu after the video came to light.

According to The Indian Express, a
complaint in this regard was filed by advocate Umapathi S with the registrar
general of the Karnataka High Court. The complaint was based on a WhatsApp
video, wherein a person could be seen publicly threatening Chief Justice Ritu
Raj Awasthi.

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“I received WhatsApp video message around 9:45 am from my contacts. The said video message is in Tamil language and after listening the same I was shocked to know the open threat of murder and target Hon’ble Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court and others in the wake of recent judgment of Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka banning of hijab.”