By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar: Things took uglier turn in National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar after India lost the World T20 semi-final match to West Indies Thursday night when Kashmiri students purportedly celebrated Indian cricket team’s defeat.
Following this incident, the college authorities ordered closure of varsity on Friday and asked the students to vacate the hostels.
“In view of the prevailing indiscipline created by the students from today the 1st of April, 2016, the Institute is closed till further orders. Students are therefore to vacate the hostels. The decision has been taken due to the denial by the students to maintain discipline even after repeated requests by the Institute as well as local administration,” the notice reads.
On Friday afternoon some students from outside the state took out a march in the campus raising pro-Indian and anti-Pakistan slogans ensuing a verbal spat with Kashmiri students.
Local students claimed that non-local students while taking out the march damaged the infrastructure and harassed local Kashmiri students.
The clashes affected class work while college authorities called police to diffuse the situation. Police lobbed few tear-smoke shells to disperse the agitating groups of youth.
On Saturday, the students in University of Kashmir took out a march in solidarity with Kashmiri students studying in NIT and sought action against the accused non local students.
The students demanded lodging of FIR against the accused and same to be made public.
Meanwhile, the Union HRD ministry on Saturday issued a statement claiming that normalcy has been restored at NIT Srinagar.
The situation on the campus and at the hostels was normal, and academic activities would continue on Monday, the statement said.