Students in Jammu and Kashmir protest against online post on Prophet Mohammed

Students of many colleges in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar city staged protests on Wednesday (Nov 29) against an online post made by a suspended pupil of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) reportedly targeting Prophet Mohammed.

The student, who is said to be from Maharashtra, was booked under Sections 295A (acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 153 (giving provocation with intent to cause riots) of the Indian Penal Code, after he made comments that were deemed derogative against the Prophet.

The student was later rusticated after protests from the university students on Tuesday, reported Times of India.

Student suspended for hurting religious sentiments

According to the registrar of the National Institute of Technology, Atikur Rehman, the suspended student had shared a clip on Instagram which was sent to him by someone in the United States, reported Greater Kashmir.

“The situation has been pacified and we assured action into the matter. Inquiry is going on and recommendations will be followed,” he was quoted as saying.

A police case was lodged against the student after NIT’s Registrar complained seeking legal action.

Anger spreads to other colleges

But the anger continued to simmer the next day on Wednesday after the matter came to light, where students of Srinagar’s Amar Singh College took out a march seeking action against the student, the Indian Express reported.

Protests were also witnessed at Islamia College of Science and Commerce in downtown Srinagar.

The academic activity at the NIT institute was also suspended due to the tense situation.

The incident comes at a time when seven students of another university in Kashmir were booked for raising pro-Pakistan slogans while celebrating the Indian cricket team’s loss in the final of World Cup 2023.

On Sunday (Nov 26), the students of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at Shuhama were booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UPAP)—an anti-terror law—after another student complained that he was allegedly threatened and pro-Pakistan slogans were raised following Australia’s victory against India in the cricket World Cup final.

But the police later applied a milder version of the law following criticism from the public.

(With inputs from agencies)