As the row over the use of hijab by students in educational institutes continued to trigger tension across Karnataka, the Bengaluru police on Wednesday banned gatherings and protests near schools and colleges for two weeks.

In Karnataka High Court, the single judge hearing the case related to the Hijab ban in school-college campuses referred the matter to Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi with a view that he may decide on constituting a larger bench to look into it.