Foreign Students at Gujarat University attacked for Offering Namaz; 2 arrested; MEA issues statement

The Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday said strict action will be taken against those who attacked the foreign students offering Namaz in Gujarat university on Saturday night. Around 20-25 people entered a hostel premises of Gujarat University in Ahmedabad and objected against students offering taraweeh (night prayers in Ramadan) in a designated space. The students were attacked and at least two of them sustained injuries and had to be hospitalised.

New Delhi:The Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday said that the Gujarat government is taking strict action against the perpetrators of violence at a university in Ahmedabad in which two foreign students sustained injuries.

The MEA statement came as police in Gujarat said it has arrested two men and are looking for more. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said one of the two foreign students injured in the violence has been discharged from hospital.

"An incidence of violence took place at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad yesterday. State government is taking strict action against the perpetrators," he said on 'X'. "Two foreign students were injured in the clash. One of them has been discharged from hospital after receiving medical attention," he said.

According to Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik, the incident occurred at around 10.50 pm on Saturday when some 20-25 people entered a hostel premises of Gujarat University in Ahmedabad "and objected to the international students offering namaz there, asking them to do so in a mosque. They argued over the issue, assaulted them and hurled stones".

Two students -- one from Sri Lanka and another from Tajikistan -- were hospitalised, the police said. An FIR was registered against 20-25 unidentified accused persons under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for rioting, unlawful assembly, voluntarily causing hurt, damage to property, and criminal trespass, among others, and two persons identified as Hitesh Mevada and Bharat Patel have been arrested so far, DCP (Zone 7) Tarun Duggal said.

There are around 300 international students enrolled at the university including from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Sri Lanka and countries in Africa, he said. Nearly 75 of the international students stay in the A-block hostel of the university where the incident occurred, the official said All those involved in the incident will be arrested, the official said, adding the case will be monitored by the joint commissioner of police (crime).

Nine teams have been formed to conduct a probe into the incident, Police Commissioner Malik said. Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi held a meeting with police officers and directed them to take strict and judicial action in the matter, Malik said.

Gujarat University Vice Chancellor Neerja Gupta said that two groups clashed on the premises of the A-block hostel where 75 international students stayed. "The matter escalated and some international students were hurt. An FIR has been registered. The government and police have taken the matter seriously and an investigation is underway," she told media persons.

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