Karnataka state's ban on the garment in schools in February unleashed protests by Muslim students and their parents. "We have a divergence of opinion," said Supreme Court Justice Hemant Gupta, one of two judges on the panel. 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. "Hopefully, the chief justice will set up the larger bench soon and we will have a definitive verdict," he said by telephone.

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