Pulwama attack fallout: Kashmiri students attacked in Maha

Kashmiri students from the northern state studying in a college in Yavatmal were attacked today. They were attacked around 10 pm outside their rented accommodation on Waghapur Road. They were warned that if they failed to return to Kashmir, they will be killed. A video of the attack has gone viral on social media. This incident of assault on Kashmiri students comes after the Pulwama terror attack.

Nagpur: In the latest incident of assaulton Kashmiri students after the Pulwama terror attack, studentsfrom the northern state studying in a college in Yavatmal wereattacked and threatened by members of the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of Shiv Sena, police said on Thursday.

The attack happened on Wednesday night.

"The students were also threatened," they added.

"A video of the incident has gone viral on the socialmedia and a case has been registered at the Yavatmal policestation. The students were attacked around 10 pm outside their rented accommodation on Waghapur Road," police said.

"The students were from the Dayabhai Patel PhysicalEducation College," police said.

Yavatmal SP M Rajkumar told media that some studentsfrom Kashmir, residing at Vaibhav Nagar under Lohara policestation were attacked and threatened by some activists of Yuva Sena.

"The Kashmiri students were returning home afterhaving dinner outside when activists of Yuva Sena interceptedthem and slapped them. The video of the incident is there inthe social media. The victims lodged a complaint at Loharapolice station on Thursday. Police identified the culprits andhave also apprehended the main accused in the incident," Rajkumar added.

A victim of the attack told media, "We were asked tosay 'Vande Mataram' if we want to live here. They slapped usand abused us when we were returning from market on Wednesdayevening."

"The attackers asked us to vacate our rooms here andreturn to Kashmir within four days," the student said.

"We werewarned that if we failed to return to Kashmir in this timeframe, they will kill us. Some members in ourcolony intervened and saved us," he added.

"We have nothing to do with it (Pulwama attack). Whatever happening is happening outside. We have come here tostudy. If we go back to Kashmir the situation over there isalso bad. Neither can we study there nor are we being allowedto study here. Where will we go? We want to study here without anytension. We want to thank the police for helping us and now weare feeling a little better," he said.

Meanwhile, a video of the attack has gone viral onsocial media. It shows the Yuva Sena workers asking thestudents where they are from. When they say they came from Kashmir, they are slapped, beaten up and threatened with direconsequences.

The assailants can be seen harassing the students andasking them if they are terrorists or if their relatives inKashmir are terrorists and go around killing Indian soldiers.

The attackers are then seen forcing the students toshout slogans like 'Vande Mataram' and 'Hindustan Zindabad'.

With inputs from PTI.