Srinagar NIT unrest: Omar terms CRPF deployment at campus as abnormal

Criticizing the Centre's dealing in regard with the ongoing unrest at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Srinagar, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah on Wednesday described the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) deployment in the institution as 'abnormal', asserting that the situation called for tact not force.

Abdullah took to the micro-blogging site Twitter and expressed dismay over the presence of CRPF in NIT campus.

"TWO companies of CRPF in a campus is not normal by any stretch of imagination. Requires tact not use of force," tweeted Abdullah.

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 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 police which resorted to lathicharge in which some were injured.

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

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