Charging the management of the college of depriving them of their fundamental right of practising their religion, students of the Little Flower Junior College in Uppal staged a dharna on Wednesday, ransacking furniture and pelting stones at the institute's building.
The students were protesting after the Principal of the college allegedly told some students who had taken the 'Ayappa Deekhsa' that they could not attend classes wearing the black clothes.
According to some of the students, the insistence by the Principal on not wearing the black clothes was an infringement on their fundamental rights.
The students further alleged that the Principal was against the wearing of black clothes only because the college was run by Christian Missionaries. They further charged the college management of trying to hurt the sentiments of some Hindu students.
The students further charged that the Principal had behaved rudely with students.
Meanwhile, the college management informed the police about the protest and the vandalism of the college furniture. The police rushed to the spot and resorted to a mild lathi-charge to disperse the student. Some of the students, who were brave enough to withstand the lathi blows, were hauled into the police jeeps and taken to the station.
Some other students sustained injuries during the lathi-charge. The lathi-charge and the arrests led to a tense atmosphere in the vicinity.
The students alleged that the Principal was harassing students on flimsy reasons and insulting their parents also.
The management had threatened not to issue hall tickets to those students who came to college wearing the black dress, the students alleged.