SRINAGAR/NEW DELHI: Tension prevailed at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar on Wednesday, a day after police baton-charged non-local students injuring two dozen of them, with authorities deploying five companies of paramilitary forces inside the campus and a three-member team Union Human Resource Development (UHRD) team arriving at Srinagar for consultations with NIT officials and non-local students.
The unrest in NIT, that began when local students celebrated India’s loss in the T20 semifinals and drew the ire of non-local students, is posing the first serious challenge for the new PDP-BJP government headed by Mehbooba Mufti.
“We deployed two CRPF companies and three SSB companies in the NIT campus in Nageen, Srinagar for security of the students. A Senior Superintendent (SP) rank officer is stationed there to keep vigil. All required measures have been taken to ensure peace in the campus. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is also monitoring the situation,” Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh told reporters.
One of the non-local students said on Tuesday they had moved towards the campus’ main gate to talk to mediapersons. But before they could interact with the media, the police lathicharged them, injuring several.
Meanwhile, a three-member UHRD team, comprising Director (Technical Education) from the HRD Ministry Sanjeev Sharma, Deputy Director Finance Fazal Mehmood and Chairman of Board of Governors of NIT M J Zarabi arrived in Srinagar. Officials at NIT said the non-local students were making an issue out of nothing only to pave way for cancellation of examinations.
In Surat, HRD Minister Smriti Irani said no injustice would be allowed to happen against the students and her Ministry was making arrangements for students who wanted to go back home.
“I spoke to Mehbooba Mufti ji (J&K Chief Minister)and she has assured me about the safety of the students. Will not let injustice happen to students,” Irani told reporters. Ministry sources indicated she might visit the campus soon.