Act against jehadi students in NIT lathicharge case: VHP

The VHP on Thursday demanded action against what it said were "jehadi students" and their supporters for the lathicharge on NIT students in Jammu and Kashmir and demanded a Supreme Court-appointed SIT probe into the matter.

In a strongly worded statement issued here, senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia demanded the "immediate suspension" of all Jammu and Kashmir Police officials involved in the lathicharge on students of National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Srinagar.

He said the Supreme Court should take suo motu cognizance of the "brutal jehadi lathicharge".

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the apex court's supervision should be set up to fast-track the case and "punish the offenders", Togadia said.

He said that the NIT-Srinagar should be shifted to Jammu and all students from other states given full protection.

"The students at the NIT-Srinagar were humiliated by the local jehadi students and their supporters by shouting 'Pakistan zindabad' and 'Hindustan murdabad' on the campus," Togadia said in a statement here.

"The state government should immediately arrest all those local students and NIT staff and faculty who threatened students from other states," he said.

"The state home department should also clarify as to who ordered the lathicharge and immediately file a case against those involved," he said.

The VHP leader said the Centre should clarify its "policy, vision and action plan" for curbing anti-India activities in Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistani Kashmir.

"It is high time Article 370 of the constitution (that accorded special status to the state) be abrogated," he said.

Tension prevailed on the NIT campus after a clash between two groups of students after India's loss to West Indies in a T20 World Cup semi-final match on March 31.