Kashmiri Pandits' body to send team to NIT, seeks assurance from PM

JAMMU: Hitting out at the PDP-BJP government for the police lathicharge on outstation students in NIT Kashmir, a body representing Kashmiri Pandits today said it's an "eye-opener" for the Centre and demanded assurance from the Prime Minister on safety of the students in the Valley.

All Parties Migrants Coordination Committee (APMCC) will send a delegation to Srinagar to support and instill confidence among the non-Kashmiri NIT students, APMCC Chairman, Vinod Pandit told reporters here.

"We demand intervention and reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the safety and security of the non-Kashmiri students studying in NIT Srinagar following use of the brute force by the police," he said.

The PM needs to assure the nation and parents of the students about their safety when protectors have become "tormentors" in Kashmir for them, he said.

He hit out at Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and her Deputy Nirmal Singh for the use of force by the police.

"The Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister should also explain why action have not been taken against the police," he asked and demanded the officers responsible should be suspended.

"Is waving national flag a crime in Jammu and Kashmir to be punished by police cane-charge? BJP and the Modi government should explain it and clarify their stand," Pandit said.

He said that besides the APMCC leadership, top leaders representing the community including Swami Kumar Ji of Geeta Satsang, M K Yogi, President of Martand Tirath Trust, Ravinder Raina of All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (ASKPC) will go to Kashmir to meet the students.

APMCC will hold a protest including, in Jammu and New Delhi, tomorrow in support of the NIT students and in protests against the police, he said.

Unrest was witnessed on the campus when Kashmiri and outstation students had a confrontation after India lost WT20 semifinal match to West Indies on March 31.

Yesterday again unruly scenes were witnessed with outstation students expressing a sense of insecurity and attempting to leave the campus, leading to a confrontation with the police which resorted to lathicharge in which some were injured.