SRINAGAR: A day after protest demonstrations erupted in different colleges against an alleged blasphemous post on social media early this week, National Institute of Technology, Hazratbal Srinagar, has instructed all students to vacate hostels with immediate effect.
The instructions, the authorities said in a circular, are being made in pursuance of declaration of winter vacations. The circular did not make any mention of the anger that was simmering among the students, who began protests in NIT premises against an alleged blasphemous post by an out of station student on November 26, 2023.
The circular issued by the NIT said, “Pursuant to declaration of Winter Vacation for students w.e.f. 30.11.2023 vide Order No. 60 of 2023 issued under endorsement number NITS/R/23/600 dated 30.11.2023 all hostel boarders (Boys and Girls) are instructed to vacate the hostels with immediate effect.”
Protests erupted over an alleged derogatory Instagram post about Prophet Muhammad by a 20-year-old outstation student from Maharashtra at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar, who was rusticated for a year on Monday, November 27, by the institutional authorities.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police has also booked the accused student, who is in his seventh semester at the NIT’s Chemical Engineering Department under Sections 153 (provocation), 285A (outrage religious feelings), and 153A (promoting enmity) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Police, however, said that that the student identified as Prathamesh Shinde has not been arrested so far.
The FIR (156/23) registered at Nigeen Police Station in Srinagar mentions that the student’s actions “have hurt the religious sentiments of a particular community with a potential to disrupt communal harmony and can create law and order situation within and outside the campus.”
Holding protests for the second time, the students demanded legal action while raising pro-Islam slogans. In response to the uproar, officers from the J&K Police met the protesting students at the site and assured legal action, after which the protesters dispersed.
“After some time, a group of non-locals came out shouting slogans like Bharat Mata Ki Jai. They also alleged that we were raising pro-Pakistan and anti-national slogans. But that is a wrong allegation,” a student who was part of the protests said, requesting not to be identified. “There was a police presence there. Are we supposed to believe that we shouted anti-national slogans in front of the police?”
On Tuesday, classes at the NIT remained suspended as the controversy over the offensive Instagram post continued to spark protests in other colleges in the city too. Videos all over social media show students taking part in demonstrations inside Amar Singh College and the Islamia College of Science and Commerce in Srinagar.
“As of now, the situation is under control. No protests were held at NIT today, while in some other colleges, protests occurred peacefully,” police officials said.
The protest demonstrations in NIT come just days after the J&K Police arrested seven students at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) at Shuhama in the Central Kashmir district of Ganderbal.
The students were booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for raising alleged pro-Pakistan slogans at the campus on November 19 after India lost to Australia at the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Finals.
The arrest of students under the India’s draconian anti-terrorism law generated anger across the Valley, with regional politicians denouncing the authorities for resorting to what they describe as a harsh step.
On November 28, J&K Police defended its decision to invoke UAPA against the seven SKUAST students and issued a clarification saying, “These slogans, as has usually been the case with (a) select few bullies, were aired to intimidate those who disagreed, and also to identify and vilify those who choose to keep a distance,” the police statement read, adding that it was also about normalising an abnormal. “That everyone hates India [as different from the government of the day and party in power] ‘openly’.”
Case registered against NIT student
“A case had been registered under Section 295A (malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings), 153 and 153A (vilification of the founders and prophets of a religion) of the Indian Penal Code,” the police said.
The First Information Report (FIR) was registered following hundreds of students streaming on to the NIT campus in Srinagar on Tuesday evening against the non-local engineering student for allegedly posting the “blasphemous video”.
The incident sparked more protests on November 29, with hundreds of students from Srinagar’s Amar Singh Degree College holding a street protest. They raised pro-Islam slogans and sought strict action against the students.
A spokesperson of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulama Jammu and Kashmir, an amalgam of religious bodies in Kashmir, “strongly condemned the blasphemous remarks against the Holy Prophet of Islam”. “It’s totally unacceptable,” the Ulama spokesperson said.
Zero Tolerance to Religious Disrespect: DGP
Director General of Police (DGP) RR Swain on Thursday said that police have zero-tolerance policy towards religious disrespect and that they will bring in a law to act stringently against social media offenders.
DGP as per KNS in a hurriedly press conference at Jammu said that under 144 CrPC they will take strict action to cap dissemination of sensitive content on social media platforms that hurts religious sentiments of communities.
He said Police have taken strong cognizance of NIT incident and in future any such incident will also be dealt sternly.
He was speaking on NIT Srinagar row where a non-local student had uploaded a derogatory video against Prophet Muhammad (SAW) on social media which led to wide criticism and outrage from public.
“J&K Police respects the dignity of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) undoubtedly. We can’t tolerate any disrespect in this regard. Also we want to clarify that miscreants won’t be allowed to exploit the situation and take law in their hands,” DGP Swain said.
“We have taken swift action against the person who made derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad (SAW) and will not tolerate such remarks against such a great personality.
“Such acts are beyond tolerance and with these acts we will not let vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in J&K. As soon as we got this information, we took cognisance in no time and filed FIR against the person.”
DGP appealed to students to concentrate on their studies and don’t indulge in such activities. I also appeal to the people to help us to maintain law and order. We warn those elements who want to take advantage of these situations to derail peace in Jammu and Kashmir. Police as well as people in general need to be alert at this juncture,” he added.
“Regarding the use of social media, we also warn those elements who try to spread misinformation. In coming days, we are also going to launch awareness campaign about this law so that people indulging in such activities refrain themselves and help us maintain the peaceful atmosphere prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir,” the DGP said.
Swain Thursday said that sharing videos, posting texts and messages on social media that have a potential to trigger communal frenzy, disrupt peace, promote terrorism and separatism will invite strict action as per the law.
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