The outstation students’ representative at the National Institute of Technology, Srinagar, demanded the officials from the HRD ministry to move the institute out of Srinagar for their security.
The officials from HRD visited the campus following the escalation of tension between Kashmiri students and outstation students and between the latter and the J&K police.
“And we want our national flag back from the police,” the student representative told the officials.
The outstation students had clashed with the police at the institute’s gate on Tuesday after they were prevented from leaving the campus. In the police lathi-charge that ensued, several students were reportedly injured. The police alleged that the students had pelted stones at them.
Meanwhile. the students alleged that the police attacked them during a silent march and confiscated their national flag.
On Wednesday, the outstation students also demanded the police to withdraw the allegation that they threw stones at the latter, which according to the student body is false.
Deputy chief minister of the state Nirmal Singh assured action against the police officers who attacked the students. “Police officers who were involved in lathi-charge will be punished. I was told it was a ‘mild’ lathi-charge which is why I used that term earlier,” Singh was quoted by NDTV.
Two groups of students in the campuses clashed on 30 March following India’s loss to the West Indies in the recently concluded World T20. Reportedly, a group of students from different parts of the country were infuriated by local students who burst crackers to celebrate the West Indies’ victory.
Non-Kashmiri students in the campus even alleged that the Kashmiri students threatened them, especially girls, with actions like rape.
