Few Kashmiri students living in PGs at Haryana village 'forced' to leave after panchayat's diktat

The students have appealed to the Jammu and Kashmir government to request the Haryana government to ensure their safety.

Published: 16th February 2019 08:56 PM  |   Last Updated: 16th February 2019 09:00 PM   |  A+A A-

Students gather at India Gate to pay tribute to the CRPF jawans killed in the fidayeen attack in Kashmir’s Pulwama on Friday. | (Parveen Negi | EPS)

By Harpreet Bajwa | ENS
Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: Many Kashmiri students living in rented accommodations in Haryana's Mullana village have left after the district panchayat asked villagers to evict them.

Several students of MM University in Mullana who lived as paying guests in the village were told yesterday evening by the village panchayat to vacate within twenty-four hours. This comes two days after the deadliest militant attack on a convoy of CRPF in which 44 troopers of the force were killed.

Sources said that around 125 Kashmiri students are living in this village as most of them are studying at MM University. The students have appealed to the Jammu and Kashmir government to request the Haryana government to ensure their safety.

Sarpanch of the Mullana village, Naresh Rana alleged that some of the Kashmiri students were involved in suspicious activities. "About two months ago, we had asked students coming into our PGs from all over the country to deposit photocopies of their ID proof at the police station or in our panchayat office, as a precautionary measure, but no one deposited their ID proofs,’’ he claimed.

"Yesterday when we were taking out a solidarity march in the village in support of our brave soldiers who were killed in the Valley, many villagers were of the opinion that the Kashmiri students who are living in the PGs in the village and supporting the attackers through their Facebook posts and WhatsApp
messaged should be told to leave within twenty-four hours. A few of them were already leaving. The main student who is supporting the attack is now in Srinagar.  After the Uri attack, he along with few others had supported the attackers by posting comments on social media,’’ alleged Naresh Rana.

He added: "About half a dozen Kashmiri students have left as their landlords told them to leave. The Kashmiri students who have done nothing wrong, why should they be scared? They are staying in the village peacefully.’’

But in the video which has gone viral, Rana could be heard asking villagers to get Kashmiri students, who have been living on rented accommodation, to leave their homes, "The people who are keeping these Kashmiri boys and girls as tenants in their houses should tell them to leave as these students distributed sweets after the attack and also held a party in the college. The villagers have been asked to vacate Kashmiri students from the rented accommodation in case it is not done the person in whose residence such students are living will be considered as traitors," Rana is hearing saying.

Meanwhile, half a dozen Kashmiri students have been shifted to the hostel of MM University after this video went viral.

Vishal Garg, one of the trustees of the university, located in Mullana, said a few Kashmiri students of the
university had requested him for providing accommodation in the hostel and they had been given rooms.

Superintendent of Police of Ambla, Astha Modi said the matter was being investigated.

Around 1,200 Kashmiri students are studying in various educational institutions in Ambala district while around 120 of them are studying in MM Mullana University.