Deputy CM of J&K speaks to Adityanath, says ensure safety of Kashmiri students
Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh today dialled Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, where a Kashmiri student left university three days ago to join a terror group. The 200-odd Kashmiri students across Uttar Pradesh should not bear the brunt of Manan Bashir Wani's action, Mr Singh has told Yogi Adityanath, sources said.
Mr Singh has requested the UP Chief Minister to ensure the safety of Kashmiri students, saying the innocent should not face any backlash, the sources added.
Reports of Kashmiri students being beaten up in campuses across the country have been frequent. Some of these are incidents reported after India, Pakistan cricket matches, where Kashmiri students are accused of supporting Pakistan. In 2014, a university in Uttar Pradesh had sent 67 students home as they celebrated Pakistan's victory in cricket. But there have been other incidents where students have been targeted ostensibly because they were from Kashmir.
Last April, after Kashmiri students were targeted in Rajasthan's Chittoragarh and allegedly called terrorists, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had asked states to ensure the safety of Kashmiri students. There were also reports of Kashmiris being targeted in Meerut.
Manan Bashir Wani had gone missing on Saturday from the Aligarh Muslim University, where he was a research scholar. He said he was going home in Kashmir's Lolab district, but on Sunday, photos of the young man wielding an AK-47 appeared on his Facebook. Today, news agency Press Trust of India quoted Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, saying Wani had joined the terror group. Since the killing of Hizbul terrorist Burhan Wani in June 2016, and the six-month unrest that followed, a number of young men in Kashmir have joined terror groups.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has indicated that only development can stop the trend in Jammu and Kashmir. In his Independence Day speech last year, PM Modi said the nation needs to embrace Kashmir. The government, he said, was committed to helping Kashmiri youths join the "mainstream".
As part of her peace initiative, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has repeatedly asked other states to welcome Kashmiri students and help them integrate. Lately, the Chief Minister has been at odds with the BJP-led government at the Centre, which she has blamed for the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.