Hours after the UP police slapped sedition charges on 60 Kashmiri college students studying in Meerut for cheering Pakistan’s victory against India during a recent cricket match,
the embarrassed government dropped the charges following national umbrage. Meerut IG Alok Sharma said a probe into the incident revealed the charges were “baseless”.
UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav tried to limit the damage after his J&K counterpart Omar Abdullah called him up to register a strong protest. While describing the students as “misguided”, Omar said the State’s action would only result in further alienation.
The Home Ministry too sought a report on the charges.
Tensions soared on the campus of the Swami Vivekananad Subhrati University in Meerut on Sunday when the Kashmiri students allegedly celebrated India loss with “pro-Pakistani slogans” and vandalised the community hall of the University. The University authorities later suspended the students. BJP leaders, meanwhile, demanded the immediate imprisonment of the involved students.