SRINAGAR: Several regional political parties in Indian illegally-occupied Jammu and Kashmir have strongly criticized the recent assault on Kashmiri students at Desh Bhagat University (DBU) in the Indian state of Punjab.
The incident has sparked outrage and concern among the political community, highlighting the need for action and justice.
The students organized protests against the university’s clandestine decision to transfer their registrations to an unapproved Sardar Lal Singh College within the DBU campus. The majority of these students hail from occupied Jammu and Kashmir and were initially enrolled at the university for the 2020 academic session to pursue nursing courses.
A distressing video capturing the police subjecting the protesting students to a heavy lathi charge has gone viral on social media. The footage vividly portrays numerous female students injured and many unconscious due to the police’s brutal actions during the protest.
Mehbooba Mufti, the President of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), strongly condemned the lathi charge on the protesting Kashmiri female students at DBU. In a tweet, she expressed her disapproval, stating, Lathi charging Kashmiri students and mistreating girls for protesting against a university that’s wrecked their future is completely uncalled for.
Ghulam Ahmad Mir, a senior leader of the Indian National Congress in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, voiced grave concern over the attack on the students at DBU. Mir emphasized that universities should not be used to intimidate students based on colour, region, or religion. He urged the Punjab government to take stringent action against the DBU management for intimidating the students and disrupting their education.
Imran Nabi Dar, the spokesperson for the National Conference, denounced the physical assault on the Kashmiri students, highlighting how they continue to face targeted attacks even by uniformed individuals. He stressed that such brutality against innocent girl students is unacceptable and should be condemned by all. Dar called for a thorough and expedited investigation into the matter.
Muhammad Yasin Hakeem, the Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Front, also expressed his condemnation of the use of excessive force by the police on the Kashmiri students.
Simultaneously, Nasir Khuehami, the Convener of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), wrote a letter to the Indian Union Minister for Health and Medical Education, Mansukh Mandaviya, and Punjab Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann. The letter addressed the unjust transfer of Kashmiri students from various paramedical courses at DBU Punjab to Sardar Lal Singh College without their consent. Khuehami urged the authorities to ensure the preservation of these students’ registrations and demanded justice for those caught in this predicament. The incident has underscored the necessity for immediate action and accountability to safeguard the rights and futures of the affected Kashmiri students.
