Srinagar/New Delhi, Feb 16: The Centre Saturday asked all states to ensure safety and security of the students and people from Jammu and Kashmir living in their areas in the wake of threats to them in some parts of the country, officials said.
The advisory came hours after Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured an all party meeting of doing the needful for the protection of the Kashmiri students and people who were allegedly threatened after the attack in Pulwama in which 49 CRPF personnel were killed.
A Home Ministry official said there have been some reports of students and other residents of Jammu and Kashmir experiencing threats and intimidation. “Therefore, the Home Ministry today issued an advisory to all states/UTs to take necessary measures to ensure their safety and security,” the official said.
Some Kashmiri youths studying in the Uttarakhand capital, Dehradun, have alleged that they were harassed and have been asked by their landlords to vacate accommodations fearing attacks on their properties in the aftermath of the attack.
Kashmiri girls studying at a university in Dehradun on Saturday said a mob had assembled outside their hostel and were threatening them to vacate.
“Please save us from these goons. They are threatening us to vacate the hostels. If we will go outside our rooms we will be attacked as they have surrounded our hostel,” said a distressed student.
The students said they had locked themselves in their rooms fearing attacks from the mob.
In Srinagar, police said the Dehradun police has assured its of taking all necessary measures for the safety and security of Kashmiri students studying there.
“This refers to the circulation of news regarding the harassment of Kashmir-based students in Dehradun. In this regard it is informed that the authorities from Jammu and Kashmir Police have spoken to the authorities concerned in Dehradun Police,” a police spokesperson said here.
He said the Dehradun Police has assured the Jammu and Kashmir Police that they were in touch with the representative of youths from Kashmir and all necessary arrangements for the safety and security of students in Dehradun have been put in place.
“Jammu and Kashmir Police officers are in constant touch with the Dehradun police,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, over 200 students in Haryana were thrown out of their rented accommodations following which they had to take refuge at a university hostel, reports said.
The frightened students demanding their safety, appealed the state administration to come for their rescue.
In Ambala, a village panchayat asked villagers to evict Kashmiri students living in rented accommodation within 24 hours, according to a video that has surfaced on social media.
Half-a-dozen Kashmiri students have been shifted to the hostel of the MM University after the purported video appeared.
In the video, Mulana village sarpanch Naresh Rana could be heard asking villagers to evict Kashmiri tenants.
The village head alleged that some Kashmiri students were involved in “suspicious activities”.
“The villagers have been asked to vacate Kashmiri students from the rented accommodation… In case it is not done the person in whose residence such students are living will be considered as a traitor,” the sarpanch is heard saying.
Vishal Garg, one of the trustees of the university, located in Mulana said a few Kashmiri students of the university had requested him to provide them accommodation in the hostel.
They had been provided proper accommodation, he said.
Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police Astha Modi said the matter was being investigated.
Around 1,200 Kashmiri students have been studying in various educational institutions in Ambala district while around 120 of them studying in MM Mulana University. (With PTI inputs)
Div com establishes helpline for Kashmiris studying, residing outside JK
Srinagar, Feb 16: The office of Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir today issued an official communiqué informing that a helpline has been established in the office for the students residing and studying outside the state.
According to the communiqué, the helpline numbers are Additional Commissioner, Kashmir 9906578433, 0194-2478663, Assistant Commissioner (Central) 9419484646, 0194-2473135/2483718, Principal Pvt. Secretary to Divisional Commissioner 9419094535, 0194-2455357/2452643.
The helpline has also been established in respective district headquarters of Kashmir division.
