New Delhi, Mar 16 (IANS): A clear majority of Indians support and agree with the verdict of the Karnataka High Court that dismissed all petitions challenging the rule implemented by educational institutions that prohibits overt display of religious symbols in uniforms, as per a IANS-CVoter snap poll.

The sample size of the survey was 1,508.

The petitions were filed by some aggrieved Muslim girl students who contended that the rules impinged on their right to religious freedom.

In a survey conducted across India on the issue, close to 68 per cent of the respondents agreed with the High Court verdict while close to 27 per cent disagreed. Only 3.5 per cent of the respondents said they had no opinion on the matter.

Voters of opposition parties appeared less enthusiastic than NDA supporters in welcoming the verdict that effectively disallows Muslim girls from wearing hijabs inside educational institutions, particularly inside classrooms.

More than 36 per cent of opposition voters disagreed with the High Court. However, even within this cohort, 6 out of every 10 respondents supported the verdict. The NDA voters were far more supportive of the verdict, with close to 4 out of every five respondents welcoming the verdict.

What started as a small issue in some schools and colleges in Karnataka became a hot button controversy by January 2022 when the right wing groups Campus Front of India (claiming to represent Muslims) and Bajrang Dal jumped into the fray and a simple issue related to school uniform rules acquired religious overtones.

The petitioners are not satisfied with the verdict of the High Court and have already filed appeals in the Supreme Court within hours of the High Court verdict being delivered