Bajrang Dal members protest outside an educational institution in Dehradun

DEHRADUN: Kashmiri students alleged on Friday that Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) members used the Pulwama terrorist attack as an excuse to beat up 12 students from the Valley studying in city colleges.

They added that the activists also threatened several institutions to send all Kashmiri students enrolled with them, back home. In the wake of these incidents, police force was deployed at several city colleges.

There are over 1,000 students from Kashmir studying in various colleges of Uttarakhand. Nasir Khuehami, spokesperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Organisation (JKSO) of Uttarakhand claimed that two of the 12 students beaten up by right-activists had to be hospitalised. “The students were beaten up when they were returning after offering Friday namaaz,” he said.

One of the students who claimed to have been attacked, told TOI, “The group suddenly started beating us up. I had to hide at a local's house to protect myself.”

Vikas Verma, convenor, Bajrang Dal, when queried about the incident, did not deny the attack and said that “we will ensure that no Kashmiri Muslim studies or stays here.”

VHP's Shyam Sharma also said that their aim was “to teach the students a lesson so that no one can ever dream of doing what had happened in Pulwama.”

Khuehami meanwhile said that JKSO is co-ordinating with the state government so that students from the valley are not harassed in such a manner. “We have started a helpline where students can report any such incident within or outside the campus.”

Meanwhile, incidents of window panes being broken inside the Subharti University campus and forced entry of right-wing activists inside college campuses were also reported on Friday. Bhupendra Singh, registrar, BFIT Group of Institutions, claimed that VHP and Bajrang Dal members attempted to forcefully enter inside the college campus and threatened the administration to immediately rusticate all the Kashmiri students. “We called police and these people were dispersed from the spot later in the evening.”

Talking to TOI, SSP Dehradun , Nivedita Kukreti said that police force has been put on alert and personnel deployed outside various institutions across the city.

She however denied knowledge of thrashing of any student but added that “we are on alert so that nothing untoward happens.”

