JKLF Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik on Saturday called for complete shutdown in Kashmir on April 12, Tuesday, against increasing attacks on Kashmiri students in different states of India.
Addressing a press conference here Malik said Kashmiri students were being “beaten, harassed and intimidated” in outside states while accusing J&K Government of “turning blind eye to the students’ miseries.”
“There will be complete shutdown in Kashmir on April 12 against unleashing of terror on Kashmiri students in outside states,” said Malik.
Besides, Malik said JKLF would hold a peaceful sit-in on Monday afternoon (April 11) in Lal Chowk against the harassment of students.
Over the past few weeks reports have been emanating from different states about beating and harassment of Kashmiri students in different colleges. The Kashmiri students, as per the reports, were being forced to chant slogans like “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram”.
The cases of harassment have increased ever since Kashmiri students and outstation students clashed at National Institute of Technology here following India’s semi-final loss to West Indies in World T20 championship.
“A drama is now being staged at National Institute of Technology here to hide these atrocities committed on Kashmiri students in different colleges in Rajasthan, Jammu, Noida and other places in India. Kashmiri students pursuing career in outsides states are made scapegoats for petty political interests,” Malik said.
Referring to the reports that around 150 students from New Delhi were planning to travel to Srinagar to “show solidarity” with non-Kashmiri students at the NIT, Malik said: “We have seen such propagandas in the past when Murli Manohar Joshi came here to hoist tri-color. Such acts can never change the reality of Kashmir or erase pro-freedom sentiment from our hearts,” Malik said, as he criticized New Delhi-based media for maintaining silence on growing attacks on the Kashmiri students.
Referring to some reports that forces desecrated graves of two militants, who were killed in an encounter in south Kashmir last week, Malik termed it as “direct interferences in religion”.
“We condemn it in strongest possible words,” said Malik.
TRADERS SUPPORT CALL
Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) have supported the April 12 strike call against harassment of Kashmiri students. The KTMF President Muhammad Yasin Khan, who heads his faction of Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), said the traders and business community would observe complete shutdown on Tuesday, April 12.
