A Kashmiri student pursuing BTech in Chitkara University in Himachal Pradesh has been arrested for allegedly “glorifying” the suicide bomber Aadil Ahmed Dar, who was behind the Pulwama attack, in which 49 CRPF personnel were killed, reported the Indian Express.
Tahseen Gul, 21, a second year student of Chitkara University in Baddi, had allegedly put up a picture of Dar as his Whatsapp profile photo and the words — “Allah Talah aap ki shahadat kabool kare (May Allah accept your martydom)” — as his status. He was booked under IPC section 153B (imputing, making assertions prejudicial to national integration). The FIR was lodged on the basis of a complaint filed by retd. Col. AK Chauhan, dean of Chitkara University, The Indian Express reported.
On Friday night, hundreds of the university’s students gathered outside Gul’s hostel, demanding his arrest and of other Kashmiri students. The mounting tension on campus spurred the authorities to seek police protection. Several personnel were deployed on campus early Saturday and six Kashmiri students were shifted to a guesthouse, the report said.
On Saturday morning, police detained six Kashmiri students including Gul and questioned them at length. While Gul was booked and subsequently arrested, the remaining five students were released.
Baddi Superintendent of Police (SP) Rohit Malpani said, “Gul has been taken into custody and is being questioned. As a precautionary measure, we also questioned five other students of the university who are natives of Kashmir. All five were found innocent and released.”
Police have confiscated Gul’s mobile phone and a laptop which are being scrutinised by cyber experts.
After the Pulwama attack, Kashmiris living in India have been facing xenophobia, hate, terminations and suspensions.
A mob threatened to set a Dehradun college on fire if the institute didn’t terminate a Kashmiri dean. Abid Kuchay, college Dean of the Alpine Institute has been terminated.
“The college asked for it. I agreed for the betterment of the college,” he said. Abid’s resignation has been asked for his role of getting Kashmir students admitted in the college.
Moreover, four Kashmiri students were suspended on Saturday by the National Institute of Medical Science (NIMS), Rajasthan for sharing a WhatsApp status in which they were allegedly celebrating the Pulwama attack which left 49 CRPF personnel dead.
The second-year students — Talveen Manzoor, Iqra, Zohra Nazir and Uzma Nazir — were suspended soon after they shared as a WhatsApp status allegedly celebrating the killings of the CRPF personnel in the attack
Earlier, Shridev Suman Subharti University in Dehradun suspended a Kashmiri student after his alleged WhatsApp chat regarding the Pulwama attack went viral.
Meanwhile, Aligarh Muslim University also suspended a Kashmiri student over a ‘highly objectionable tweet’.
Omar Saleem Peerzada, AMU PRO said: “We have come to know of the highly objectionable tweet. Taking immediate cognizance the student has been suspended by the university administration,” he said.
Moreover, 15-20 Kashmiri female students had locked themselves in a hostel room in Dehradun after a mob surrounded the campus area, demanding the management to ‘throw them out of their rooms’.
Shazia Hamid, one of the students, told Free Press Kashmir that she and other Kashmiri female students, fearing the mob, have locked themselves in a room.
Following Free Press Kashmir’s news story the women were provided safety by the Dehradun police who dispersed the crowd peacefully.
Earlier, former chief minister Omar Abdullah had appealed to the Home Minister of India Rajnath Singh to direct all state governments to take ‘special care of areas where Kashmiris as residing or studying.’
Following the reports of attacks on Kashmiris in various parts of India, Government of India on Saturday asked all the states to ensure safety and security of the students and people from Jammu and Kashmir.
