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Meerut: A group of Kashmiri students of a private university in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, have been booked for sedition after they cheered Pakistan during a cricket match.
67 students of the Swami Vivekanand Subharti University were suspended on Tuesday for celebrating Pakistan's victory over India in the Asia Cup match on Sunday. They now face arrest.
"The case has been registered for being against own country and supporting the other (sic)," said a senior police officer, Onkar Singh, justifying the FIR that doesn't name any student.
The university said the students had committed an "anti-national act" by celebrating loudly in the dorm and raising pro-Pakistan slogans, which led to clashes with other students and escalated into vandalism and stone-throwing.
All 67 Kashmiri students of a hostel block were suspended and asked to leave but no action was taken against the rival group.
The university hired several buses and had its officials and the police escort the suspended students to Ghaziabad, about an hour's drive away. Some of them have returned to Jammu and Kashmir and others are staying with friends, hoping to return to the university soon.
"The college never heard our side of the story. They just decided on their own. Some us were also crying as we had no money," said a student at his home in Kashmir.
Their story has provoked anger on social media.
"This is unacceptable. Sedition charges against Kashmir students 4 cheering Pakistan. Absurd! Is dis how you win hearts of kashmiri people?" tweeted Atul Khajuria.
"An indefensible decision by a university in UP. What business is it of theirs what team their students support?" tweeted Mihir Sharma.
The university said it was necessary to remove the students immediately "as a precaution" as the situation was volatile. They also called the police, saying they feared the violence would spread to other parts of Meerut town, which is known to be communally sensitive.
Around 200 Kashmiri students are taking engineering and law courses in the university.
Source : UP college students booked for 'sedition'; they cheered Pakistan in cricket match | NDTV.com
67 students of the Swami Vivekanand Subharti University were suspended on Tuesday for celebrating Pakistan's victory over India in the Asia Cup match on Sunday. They now face arrest.
"The case has been registered for being against own country and supporting the other (sic)," said a senior police officer, Onkar Singh, justifying the FIR that doesn't name any student.
The university said the students had committed an "anti-national act" by celebrating loudly in the dorm and raising pro-Pakistan slogans, which led to clashes with other students and escalated into vandalism and stone-throwing.
All 67 Kashmiri students of a hostel block were suspended and asked to leave but no action was taken against the rival group.
The university hired several buses and had its officials and the police escort the suspended students to Ghaziabad, about an hour's drive away. Some of them have returned to Jammu and Kashmir and others are staying with friends, hoping to return to the university soon.
"The college never heard our side of the story. They just decided on their own. Some us were also crying as we had no money," said a student at his home in Kashmir.
Their story has provoked anger on social media.
"This is unacceptable. Sedition charges against Kashmir students 4 cheering Pakistan. Absurd! Is dis how you win hearts of kashmiri people?" tweeted Atul Khajuria.
"An indefensible decision by a university in UP. What business is it of theirs what team their students support?" tweeted Mihir Sharma.
The university said it was necessary to remove the students immediately "as a precaution" as the situation was volatile. They also called the police, saying they feared the violence would spread to other parts of Meerut town, which is known to be communally sensitive.
Around 200 Kashmiri students are taking engineering and law courses in the university.
Source : UP college students booked for 'sedition'; they cheered Pakistan in cricket match | NDTV.com
