Locals accuse Kashmiri students of raising pro-Pak slogans
STATE TIMES NEWS
RAJOURI: Even as outstation students of NIT Srinagar were still seeking justice after they were mercilessly beaten up by the State police inside the campus, fresh clashes broke out on Monday inside Baba Gulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) in Rajouri district of Jammu region.
Over two dozen students were injured while over half a dozen vehicles were torched/damaged in the violent protests which continued for several hours before the police force was rushed to the campus to prevent the situation from completely going out of hands.
“There were clashes between two groups of students on the university campus over some issue”, DIG Poonch Rajouri Range, Johny Williams told PTI.
He said for the past few days, there was some tension between these groups but the university authorities said they will sort out the issue.
STATE TIMES correspondent reports that the student groups from both the sides were seen roaming around in the campus and engaged in the ding dong battles brandishing sharp edged sticks.
According to University authorities the situation on the campus was volatile after the minor clashes were reported on the campus over the issue of bunking of classes.
The university officials had even tried to broker a peace deal between the students but despite shaking hands the student groups clashed on Monday morning triggering fresh round of violence on the campus.
The local students alleged that the Kashmir based students had indulged in pro Pak sloganeering on the campus and when some of the local students warned them against it they were pelted with stones and beaten up by them.
The local students alleged the University authorities and the security staff failed to contain the situation allowing the students from Kashmir valley to let loose.
Before police teams were rushed to the spot the student group from Kashmir had taken virtual control of the campus and went around burning parked vehicles and two wheelers of students.
Several vehicles belonging to local students were damaged by the angry students.
After the arrival of the police teams on the campus the student groups were separated and divided in to two groups.
Senior university authorities tried to hold parleys with them separately to defuse the situation.
Even Vice Chancellor Prof Javed Musarrat interacted with the students groups and tried to pacify them in a bid to restore order.
The local students were insisting on registering FIR against the Kashmir based students as they alleged their vehicles were torched/damaged by them.
According to sources, the Valley-based students carrying lathis came out of the hostels and started throwing stones on the vehicles parked inside the university premises. They also beat up some local students. Angry Valley students also locked the main gate of the university and started raising anti-India slogans. Students also broke about seven vehicles and set on fire about five vehicles belonging to local students and staff of the university. They did not allow even the faculty to move in or out of the gate.
Special police teams led by DSP Headquarter Ab Hamid Choudhary rushed to the spot to pacify there agitating students, but all in vain. Students did not allow the police to go inside the gate and thus had full control of the situation.
Angry valley based students did not even allow the fire brigade vehicles to go inside to extinguish fire of burning vehicles and thus vehicles burned down. They also pelted stones on the police and approaching media persons.
After day long drama by Valley students in the campus, SSP Rajouri Rajeshwar Singh and Deputy Commissioner Shabbir Ahmed Bhatt rushed to the spot and held talks with the students.
Students did not even stop in presence of SSP and Deputy Commissioner and did what they wanted in the university. After about three hours long discussion with SSP and DC, the students did not relent.
Till the filing of the report situation remained tense in the university and SSP and Deputy Commissioner were still camping there.