In touch with state govts: J&K CM on ‘harassment’ of Kashmiri students
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said he was in touch with his counterparts in other states after reports emerged that Kashmiri students were being targeted in various parts of the county after the Pahalgam terror attack.
“The J&K Government is in touch with the governments of the states where these reports are originating from,” Omar posted on X.
“I am also in touch with my counterparts in these states and have requested they take extra care,” he said.
Earlier, political leaders and a students’ association of the Valley claimed that incidents of Kashmiri students being harassed and assaulted had been reported.
“There have been many incidents across the country wherein Kashmiri students were harassed, beaten up, bullied and even asked to vacate their residential premises,” People’s Conference chief and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone posted on X. He urged the Centre to ensure safety of Kashmiri students.
Twentysix persons, including 25 tourists, were killed in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam this week.
The J&K Students’ Association said on Thursday that it had received reports about “harassment, intimidation and threat calls” targeting Kashmiri students across the country.
The student body said it received calls from students in various states, including Punjab, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said she spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to extend her condolences and express solidarity with the bereaved families of the terror attack.
“We stand with the nation in this hour of mourning,” she said. “I also requested him to intervene in the wake of certain elements openly threatening Kashmiri students and traders across various states. I urged him to intervene without delay to ensure safety of Kashmiris,” she said.
National Conference leader Imran Nabi Dar had earlier said videos of Kashmiri students, living in other states, expressing apprehensions about their safety were being widely shared on the social media.
Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said, “Fear and distress expressed by Kashmiris outside, especially ‘students who are being attacked’ in the aftermath of the dastardly Pahalgam incident, is deeply concerning.”
“Urge the authorities concerned to immediately intervene and ensure their safety and protection,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Resident Commission in New Delhi on Thursday established a helpline for the students of J&K studying across the country.
A communiqué received from the Resident Commission read, “The students hailing from J&K, studying in different states, may contact the helpline of Jammu and Kashmir Resident Commission, New Delhi, for any help/assistance… the helpline shall remain operational 24×7.”
J & K