Jammu and Kashmir: Unrest on NIT Srinagar campus as outstation students protest, lathicharged; CRPF deployed

Unrest was witnessed again on Tuesday at NIT Srinagar, the scene of last week's clash, with outstation students expressing a sense of insecurity and attempting to leave the campus, leading to a confrontation with police which resorted to lathicharge in which some were injured.

With the situation being tense, CRPF was tonight deployed at campus and Jammu and Kashmir government assured full security to the students from other states studying here. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also called up Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and discussed with her the situation at NIT. Some non-local students attempted to leave the campus and return to their home states, saying, they were "not feeling safe" inside the campus, a police official said.

About 500 NIT Srinagar students in shape of mob carrying banners tried to take out a march and reached the main gate on main road on Tuesday evening. As per the police, their forces stopped them and told them to move back. But the students resorted to violence by assaulting policemen and started stone pelting.

Jammu and Kashmir Police said that they have lodged a case, FIR no 45, at Nigeen Police Station and the investigation has begun. Police said that the situation has been brought under control. The deployment chased the mob and in this melee some of the students got injured who were given first aid, said the police. MoS PMO Jitendra Singh has spoken to Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti over NIT Srinagar issue and asked students to stay calm.

Police personnel on duty at the NIT tried to reassure the students that they were safe inside the campus but they were not pacified, he said. As the head of the security deployment was speaking to them, a few of the students allegedly resorted to sloganeering and even pushed him around, the official claimed. He said the other police personnel then resorted to "lathicharge" to disperse the students who were "getting violent".

The situation, however, was brought under control shortly, the official said. Outstation students, on the other hand, alleged that they were holding protests and were lathicharged by the police with brute forces and not allowed to move out of the NIT gate. "We had sat on dharna and were demanding meeting with HRD officials. We held meeting with NIT administration and they agreed to the demand. We were allowed freely to move out the gate," said one of the students on condition of the anonymity.

"When we were going out of the campus as per the past practice, police did not allow us and resorted to cane-charge resulting in injuries to several students," he claimed.

Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh told PTI in Jammu tonight: "We assure security to the students of various states of the country studying in NIT Srinagar. Additional security of CRPF has been deployed at the campus." Singh, who along with Minister of State (MoS) Education Priya Sethi, talked to Mehbooba, DGP K Rajendra and NIT Director, said "all measures are being taken by the administration of the NIT to instill confidence among these students and the issues raised by them are being resolved." 

With PTI/ANI inputs.