An Indian Supreme Court panel said on Thursday it was divided over a ban on hijabs in schools, and referred the matter to the chief justice, effectively leaving in place a state’s ruling against the scarves worn by women that have sparked an uproar.

Karnataka state’s ban on the garment in schools in February triggered protests by Muslim students and their parents.

In response, Hindu students staged counter-protests, adding to religious tensions at a time when some Muslims have complained of marginalization under a Hindu nationalist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India’s debate on the hijab comes as protests have rocked Iran after women objected to dressing codes under its Islamic laws.

“We have a divergence of opinion,” said Supreme Court Justice Hemant Gupta, one of two judges on the panel.

Gupta said he had wanted an appeal against the ban to be quashed while his colleague on the panel, Sudhanshu Dhulia, said wearing the hijab was a “matter of choice.”

The chief justice would set up a larger bench to further consider the case, they said but did not say by when that could happen. Supreme Court decisions apply nationwide.