A Surrey high school is caught in a debate about freedom of expression after several students went to school on Friday with unique t-shirts carrying a possibly controversial message.

About 20 Sikh students showed up at Surrey's Princess Margaret High School wearing black t-shirts with white lettering that reads "Khalistan" on the front.

The shirts endorse the man who once led the controversial movement in India in the 1980s, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, which ended in widespread riots and violence.

Bhindranwale was killed in 1984 in India after the country's army led an uprising to storm the Golden Temple.

"(A teacher) asked me to take off the shirt, but I wasn't wearing anything underneath I didn't have anything else at school, so they said put on a jacket so I had to put on a jacket and zip it up," said one student, who declined to give his name.

"They're saying it's politics in the school, and the school doesn't do politics, you're not allowed to wear political shirts, right. But this has nothing to do with politics."

On the back, the t-shirts read "While we live, we shall live with dignity, when we die it shall be for the faith."

But some witnesses say they also saw similar t-shirts with images of AK47s on them, although the students deny that claim.

The students who wear the shirts say they are simply expressing their religion.

Dough Strachan, communications manager for the Surrey School District, says the issue is not just black and white.

"The school is trying to work through the problem," he said. "It is asking those involved to be respectful to everyone's points of view."

Strachan would not clearly say whether the board will condone or reject the students' position.

"It's difficult, or maybe even unfair to say this is acceptable ... and this is not, at least to some extent."

But at least one student says he will probably wear the shirt again.

"I don't care," he said. "Our tenth guru said, when all means of addressing the wrongs have failed it is righteous to raise a sword."

With a report from CTV British Columbia's John Fenton