Protests at 3 Srinagar colleges over ‘derogatory’ post by non-local NIT student
Police have taken cognisance and lodged an FIR against the non-local NIT student who allegedly shared the post
After the protests in National Institute of Technology in Srinagar on Tuesday night, student protests rocked two prominent colleges of the city on Wednesday over an alleged “derogatory” post against Islam by a non-local student of the NIT.
Police have registered an FIR after the student allegedly shared a “derogatory” video on social media, which led to the protests. “Police have taken cognisance of the incident of uploading of sensitive content against religious sentiments of a particular community by one student of NIT, Hazratbal upon receipt of information from NIT authorities. Case FIR No. 156/23 u/s 295A, 153A, 153 IPC registered in police station Nigeen on 28.11.23,” Srinagar Police said in a post on micro-blogging platform “X”.
Protests rocked Amar Singh College in uptown and Islamia College of Science and Commerce in downtown.
Scores of students assembled in the campus of Islamia College and raised slogans. “There was anger against the derogatory post against our Prophet. So there was a major protest in the college,” said a student, who was on the campus.
The college authorities suspended the classes and sent the students home early to prevent escalation of the protests.The administration have deployed heavy security outside the college.
Similarly, scores of students of Amar Singh College held organised a protest over the post. The protesters were carrying placards denouncing the remarks. “The protest was peaceful. The students expressed their resentment against the insensitive remarks,” said a professor of the college.
A group of people wearing black converged at Press Colony in Srinagar and expressed their anger against the alleged “derogatory” post.
The protests started on Tuesday evening at the NIT with students blaming a non-local colleague for hurting their religious sentiments. The NIT registrar pacified the students and lodged a complaint with the police.
Kashmir inspector general of police V K Birdi said that on Tuesday that police had received information that students were protesting on the NIT campus.
“It was found that a student had posted a video on social media. The video was not his own but was posted from YouTube which has hurt the religious sentiments of people,” Birdi said.
“We took legal action after NIT registrar submitted a written complaint,” he had said.
Meanwhile, the post triggered resentment among people from various sections of the society. Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulama Jammu and Kashmir, a conglomerate of religious bodies headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, condemned the ”blasphemous remarks” by the student, terming them “totally unacceptable”.
Taking note of this incident, the body demanded that a thorough investigation be conducted and action be taken against every one involved, a statement said.
Former Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu urged people for calm. “The local students at NIT Srinagar are duty bound — by ethos, faith and hospitality — to maintain peace and calm and ensure an atmosphere of safety for students from outside. The police, I am certain, will deal with miscreants as per law,” he said.
Iltija Mufti, media advisor to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, said “No freedom of expression for Kashmiris but carte blanche given to those who mock Islam”.
Police have appealed to people not to spread rumours and assured that appropriate action would be taken.
