In a memorandum to the team of Union HRD Ministry, the local students said the demand for permanent presence of central security forces at the institute can make it vulnerable to disturbances owing to political events outside the campus.
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Apart from Nirmal Singh, Education Minister Naeem Akhtar and NIT Director Rohit Gupta were involved in talking with a dozen-odd student representatives at Singh’s official residence on Friday evening, a top state government official told IANS.
The sources said the Ministers and HRD officials however assured the students that their genuine demands like better amenities inside the campus and improving the academic atmosphere will be addressed.
The actor further said that he would also like to meet Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to express his concern over the NIT unrest.
Trouble had broken out at the campus when groups of local and outstation students clashed following India’s defeat at the hands of West Indies in the semi-final match of T20 Cricket World Cup.
Actor Anupam Kher was on Sunday detained at the airport to prevent him from visiting the troubled NIT campus in Srinagar. “Will go to NIT students & meet the students & give them a warm hug & a special gift”, he tweeted early in the day. Angry students have complained that they were beaten by local police for chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.
He said the administration has been approached by few injured students who want to go home and as per the directions of the Union HRD ministry, arrangements are being made for them.
He said normality was yet to be restored. “I don’t know why they are pressuring this issue that minors should be held on Monday and said it’s a non-negotiable cause”, he said. This triggered celebrations by some students and opposition from the others, resulting in violence and a police crackdown. Meanwhile, Students from four local colleges on Saturday blocked the strategic Jammu-Srinagar highway in Udhampur district.
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Singh also said that with regard to the students’ demand of action against local policemen, the students were told that a magisterial probe was going on and its findings will determine who needs to be proceeded against the policemen.
