Well-known lawyer Pinki Anand said the college or institute 'you are joining is a matter of your choice'.

'If they have a certain code, they have a right to impose it and you are bound to follow that. However, if the dress code violates fundamental rights like your right to live and right to religion, then it cannot be imposed. Having a dress code is okay if it is not contrary to the constitution of India,' she said.

According to Supreme Court advocate Kamini Jaiswal, if a dress code is imposed to maintain discipline and order, 'what is wrong in that?'

'There is no legal provision for and against it, but every institute has its own code. So it is good to follow a particular dress if it saves students from a lot of problems,' she contended.

Renowned Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan also favoured following the college code for discipline.

'If a college has a rule to not wear a burqa, that should be followed and respected. If you don't agree, you can quit the college,' Khan, who has authored 10 books on Islam, said.

Fareeda Khan, who teaches at the capital's Jamia Millia University, echoed these views.

'The burqa has become the symbol of rigidity and has nothing to do with Islam. You should accept that the burqa, a part of subcontinental culture, has been misused for suicide bombings. Why not avoid the burqa? It is not part of any Islamic dress code,' she contended.

'I also suggest to my students to not wear a burqa in the university. What is the big deal about it?' Fareeda, who is Wahiduddin Khan's daughter, argued.