Srinagar, May 5
Three Kashmiri students, Showkat, Musaib and Jasir, who are pursuing their BTech course at Noida International University (NIU) in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, have alleged that they were assaulted and forced to raise anti-Pakistan slogans by some students in their hostel on Saturday night.

When they initially refused to do so, they were beaten up by a group of six students from Priyadarshini College of Management, they alleged. The assaulters were drunk, they said. The incident took place at a common hostel in Sector Pi of Greater Noida.

The students told The Tribune that they were preparing for an examination on Saturday night when six students, allegedly drunk, barged into their room carrying hockey sticks. They asked them to raise the slogan: “Bharat Mata ki Jay”.

“We raised pro-India slogans, but refused to shout anti-Pakistan slogans. This infuriated them and they beat us up,” Jasir said.

The next day, Kashmiri students held a protest on the hostel premises and lodged complaints with the hostel warden and the police. The NIU management then relocated 150 Kashmiri students to another hostel near the varsity campus. Kashmiri students said they were called traitors by their fellow students.

“We will not go back to Kashmir and put our careers at stake. Our examination will commence from May 8. We are grateful to the NIU management that provided us with separate accommodation,”

Aamir, an MBA student said. These Kashmiri students are pursuing undergraduate, postgraduate courses at the NIU under the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme.

The incident comes around two months after 67 students were expelled from Meerut University for allegedly cheering for the Pakistan team during a cricket match. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took a dig at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for failing to provide security to Kashmiri students studying in various private varsities in the state. “If the universities or the state authorities can’t protect Kashmiri students coming there, then man up and admit your inability or unwillingness,” he tweeted.

Calling the assaulters of Kashmiri students “thugs”, Omar said on twitter: “Let’s beat patriotism in to Kashmiri students, why don’t we. Great way to remove any fear or sense of alienation among Kashmiris. Thugs!!!”

He said he would send the J&K, Resident Commissioner, from Delhi to the NIU to ascertain facts before deciding on the next step.