Protest in Colleges After Non-Local Student from NIT Srinagar Shares Hateful Content, Booked

Srinagar: Hundreds of students in various colleges in Srinagar carried out protest rallies on Wednesday after a non-local student enrolled at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar was accused of posting inflammable content against Prophet Muhammad, triggering a row. 

The engineering college has since been closed as protests broke out Tuesday evening inside the college, with security beefed up around the Nigeen campus in the summer capital. The Srinagar Police in a statement, said it has taken cognisance of the incident of uploading of sensitive content against religious sentiments of a particular community by the student. 

“Upon receipt of communication from NIT authorities, case FIR No.156/23 u/s 295A,153A,153 IPC registered in PS Nigeen on November 28,” the police said.  

The police have also urged the public to desist from spreading rumours or false information. “They shouldn't fall prey to false propaganda of anti-social elements. Legal action shall be taken against those who are found to be involved in provocative act, instigation,” the police added. 

It remains unclear whether the student who has been accused of uploading the inflammatory content has been arrested. 

The students from the institute carried out a rally inside the campus, raising slogans against the alleged incident. Following the divide, the management of NIT has suspended classwork at the institute and restricted students, both locals and non-locals, inside their hostels to de-escalate the situation. Similar protests broke out at other colleges in Srinagar, including the Amar Singh College and the Islamia College in Hawal, where students raised slogans and carried placards reading – Our Prophet Our Honour and 

“My brother is an employee of the institute, and I had come to deliver lunch for him, but neither I am being allowed inside the campus nor is he being allowed to come outside,” a local told NewsClick. 

The incident has drawn sharp criticism from across the region, with social and religious bodies condemning the act and demanding an investigation into the incident. 

An amalgamation of over 30 social and religious bodies, headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulama Jammu and Kashmir has strongly condemned what they termed as “blasphemous remarks” against the Holy Prophet of Islam by the student. 

In a statement, the leading members of the MMU said that the reverence and honour of the Holy Prophet are dearer to a Muslim than his or her life, and such blasphemous remarks will not be tolerated by the Muslims of the valley. 

The MMU has demanded a thorough investigation be conducted into how and why this incident occurred and that all those found involved be brought to book, according to the statement. 

“We hope that this insolence will be taken seriously by the authorities and serious efforts will be made to prevent such incidents from happening in the future,” the body added. 

The incident comes a day after seven students from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) were booked under UAPA for allegedly cheering against the Indian team during the ICC Cricket World Cup final on November 19 that the local political parties termed as excessive punishment against the students. Many have since drawn comparisons with the two incidents. 

“Kashmiri students booked under UAPA for merely cheering a victorious team. But zero action against a non-local for his mischievous provocation of sharing a video slandering our Prophet (SAW). No freedom of expression for Kashmiris but carte blanche given to those who mock Islam,” Mehbooba Mufti’s media advisor, Iltija Mufti, wrote on X.