NIT row: Youth Congress protests against BJP in Jammu

The Youth Congress workers staged a protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here on Wednesday over the ongoing unrest at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Srinagar.

The agitators raised slogans against the BJP and also denounced Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh. They were also seen jostling with the police personnel deployed on duty.

"Today, the Youth Congress is protesting against the Bharatiya Janata Party. The BJP calls itself patriot and the patriotic students were beaten up within 48 hours of formation of the government. They should be ashamed," said one of the angry protestors.

The National Panthers Party (NPP) had earlier in the day staged a protest in Srinagar over the issue.

"Strict action must be taken against the offenders, who have indulged in anti-national activities, under the law. We demand protection for the NIT students," NPP chairman Harsdev Singh told ANI.

Meanwhile, a two member central team from the Union Human Resource and Development (HRD) Ministry reached the NIT in Srinagar today to take stock of the situation after tension gripped the campus.

The team comprising Director Technical Education of the HRD Ministry and an Under Secretary-level HRD officer interacted with the students at the varsity.

The team will assess the situation and hold deliberations with the divisional administration, senior police officials and NIT authorities.

The entire incident has sent the political temperature in the nation soaring with politicos criricising the Centre as well as the newly-formed state government.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Government in Jammu and Kashmir and asked them to put an end to the tensed state of affairs at the campus.

Echoing similar sentiments, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah described the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) deployment in the institution as 'abnormal', asserting that the situation called for tact not force.

The CRPF was deployed last night on the campus even as Home Minister Rajnath Singh discussed the issue with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

Unrest was witnessed again at the NIT campus yesterday after the scene of clash which took place last week, with outstation students expressing a sense of insecurity and attempting to leave the campus, leading to a confrontation with the police in which some were injured.

Tension simmered in the NIT campus last week after India lost the World T20 semi-final to the West Indies.

Some engineering students from outside the state claimed Kashmiri students had chanted anti-India slogans and burst firecrackers after India's defeat.