Hijab ban row: SC asks petitioners' lawyers to wrap up arguments, says it is losing patience

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the counsel appearing for the petitioners in the Karnataka hijab ban controversy to wrap up their rebuttal arguments within an hour tomorrow, saying “we are losing our patience”.

The apex court, which heard submissions in the matter for the ninth day, said it would give just one hour to the lawyers for the petitioners to conclude their arguments on Thursday.

“We will give one hour time to all of you. You finish that. Now, it is an overdose of hearing,” a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia told senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi.

Ahmadi has argued for one of the petitioners.

The bench said several lawyers have already put forth their arguments before it. “We are losing our patience,” it said.

“I must say, your lordships have heard us with inexhaustible patience,” Ahmadi acknowledged in appreciation.

“Do you think we have any other choice?” the bench asked on a lighter note.

Observing that it would give an hour’s time on Thursday, the bench said rebuttal cannot go beyond that.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Karnataka’s Advocate General Prabhuling K Navadgi and Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj have argued on behalf of the state, while senior lawyers Dushyant Dave and Salman Khurshid have presented views of the Muslim petitioners.