Extremism

PDP delegation visits U’khand after harassment of Kashmiris, say ‘satisfied regarding safety of students’

A delegation of Peoples Democratic Party visited Uttarakhand for a first-hand assessment of the situation there following harassment of Kashmiri students after the recent attack in Pulwama.

The delegation consisting of Rajya Sabha member Faiyaz Ahmed Mir, former MLA Aijaz Ahmed Mir and other party leaders reached here Tuesday to assess the situation, Inspector General of Police (Garhwal) Ajay Rautela told PTI.

“The delegation interacted with Kashmiri students studying in different institutions here and returned after expressing satisfaction over their safety,” he said.


The PDP leaders also took some of the students along with them who expressed a desire to go home with their colleges being closed, the IG said.

“However, they had a first-hand assessment of the situation in consultation with the Kashmiri students themselves and have returned perfectly satisfied,” Rautela said.

On Tuesday, two Dehradun colleges who had given in writing that they will not admit any more Kashmiris students,  said that they did it as they were ‘under pressure of the mob’.

Earlier, a doctor from Kashmir who has been living in Kolkata for the past 22 years claimed that he had been asked to leave or face ‘dire consequences’ following the Pulwama attack on a CRPF bus on Jammu- Kashmir highway that killed 49 personnel.

According to the report, the doctor, who did not wish to be named, said he was heckled but he had not paid much heed to the threats he had received initially. However, he grew concerned after some men gathered outside his residence and threatened to harm his daughter unless he “returned to Pakistan”.

A mob had 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.

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“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.

Now, all four have been charged with sedition. 

ALSO READ: Pulwama attack aftermath: Police, political parties set up helplines for Kashmiris staying outside the state

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.

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