SRINAGAR
Kashmiri students, who were slapped with sedition charges by Uttar Pradesh (UP), have turned down Pakistan’s offer to study in its universities.
After the BJP on Friday criticised the UP government for withdrawing sedition charges against students from Kashmir, the frightened students have also rejected the idea of going back to Meerut.
On Thursday, 67 Kashmiri students were suspended and slapped with sedition charges for supporting Pakistan’s cricket team.
“We are thankful to Pakistan for their statement but we don’t want to go to Pakistan,” said Musadiq Rafeeq, a second year BBA student of Meerut’s Swami Vivekanand Sub-harti University. “Our only demand is that we should be allowed to continue our study in Kashmir. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has done so much for us by forcing the UP Police to withdraw the sedition case. He should do a bit more (and ensure migration to a state university),” he added.
Meanwhile, Hurriyat Conference chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq sought the intervention of South Asian countries and the Organisation of Islamic Countries asking them to open up their institutions for Kashmiri students to allow them to study in a “bias-free atmosphere”.
