NEW DELHI: Twelve students were injured in a clash between hostel residents of Swami Parmanand College of Engineering and Technology in Jaulan Kalan village, near Lalru in Mohali, after some of them reportedly cheered for the Pakistan cricket team while watching a match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan on Tuesday night. Police said 15 students were watching the match when the fight took place.



Students said they were irked by the constant ‘pro-Pakistan cheers’ by the Kashmiri students. The Kashmiri students, however, said they were simply washing their clothes when the incident took place.



Four of the 12 students injured have been admitted to private hospitals. None of them is in critical condition. The students were watching the match in the hostel common room. Some students objected when some of their fellows cheered for the Pakistan team, which in turn led to an altercation. Other students got involved and the two groups reportedly used stones, sticks and any other material they could get their hands on during the fight. Hostel and college property was also vandalised during the fight.



College authorities summoned the police, who brought the students under control.



On Wednesday afternoon, around 30 students, allegedly joined by BJP leaders, blocked the Chandigarh-Ambala national highway for about an hour in protest. SHO Lalru police station Atul Soni said the state-level chief of the BJP Samvad Cell Dhami Sharma and up to 40 unidentified protestors had been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the National Highway Act after their protest on Wednesday.



College principal Dr PD Sharma said the college will remain closed till September 8. He said a complaint had been made to the police but no case has been registered yet. Police say they are verifying the matter and no complaint was lodged by students.



Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2014.