TNN

New Delhi, Jul 7: Calling himself "secular to the core", Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju on Monday apologised for his unsecular comment —  "Talibanisation of the country" — made two months ago while dismissing a Muslim student’s plea to keep his beard in a convent school in Madhya Pradesh.

The apology came as a Bench comprising Justices R V Raveendran and Katju 'withdrew its April 30 order dismissing Mohd Salim's appeal against the school's decision not to allow him to keep his beard.

On Monday, it allowed Salim's review petition and referred his appeal to the Chief Justice so that it could be earmarked to another Bench for hearing.

During the last hearing, Justice Katju had observed that secularism could not be overstretched to permit "Talibanisation" of the country.

While asserting that he was secular to the core, he had also said, "We don't want to have Talibans in the country. Tommorow a girl student may come and say that she wants to wear a burqa, can we allow it?"