Udupi :  A large group of students wearing saffron stoles and headgears raised slogans in the college campus against the hijab as female Muslim students arrived at the college wearing headscarves at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College in Udupi on Tuesday.

Confusion and tension prevailed at the college and the college authorities closed the gate to prevent students wearing shawls to enter.

Both groups of students shouted slogans. The college authorities and police were seen trying to pacify the students. Police have strengthened security near the college.

The Karnataka High Court is scheduled to take up the hearing of petitions, filed by students of the Government Pre-University College for Girls, Udupi, demanding permission to attend classes wearing hijab. The bench headed by Justice Krishna S Dixith is expected to give its ruling on the issue by noon.

The hijab row started after a few students in Udupi Government Pre-University College were turned out of classrooms for wearing headscarves. The students refused to attend classes without the hijab and the college administration, on the other hand, took a firm stand to allow them only if they shunned it citing its policy on uniforms.