Protests erupt in Kashmir colleges over derogatory post on Prophet
Protests erupted at various colleges in Kashmir on Wednesday over an alleged offensive social media post against Prophet Muhammad by a student of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar. It prompted NIT to halt all academic activities and station police and paramilitary forces on campus. Students from Amar Singh College and Islamia College of Science and Commerce in Jammu and Kashmir also participated in the protests, calling for strict action against the accused.
NIT Srinagar student rusticated for a year, FIR filed
The accused, Prathamesh Shinde, has been expelled from NIT Srinagar for one year, but protesters are demanding harsher punishment and his arrest, The Indian Express reported. A senior police officer revealed that he was booked under IPC Sections 153 and 295 after NIT's Registrar asked the police to take legal action against him. This comes after previous reports that the authorities sent the student home and the police booked the protesting students based on complaints from the administration.
What did the student post?
The accused shared a clip of Mosab Hassan Yousef in an Instagram Story in which the former Israeli spy is seen criticizing Islam. Yousef is the son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, one of the founding members of Hamas. In the clip, Yousef said that many Muslims are peaceful, but Islam is not a peaceful religion. Yousef worked for the Israeli Security Agency, or Shin Bet, from 1997 to 2007, before the US granted him asylum in 2010.
7 students charged with UAPA for allegedly celebrating Australia's win
Protests at NIT have reportedly ceased as officials promised action against the accused student. This incident comes amid tensions at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, where seven students were arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly celebrating Australia's cricket World Cup win over India. They were booked based on the complaint of Sachin Bains, a student at the university hailing from Punjab, who alleged that the accused threatened to shoot him for supporting India.
Controversy erupted last year over Nupur Sharma's objectionable remarks
Last year, a controversy erupted after now-suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma made controversial remarks about the Prophet and his wife during a TV debate on the Gyanvapi Mosque issue. Her remarks sparked uproar and elicited responses from religious organizations, parties, and Gulf countries, prompting the BJP to suspend her as a spokesperson. Days later, the Supreme Court said that "her loose tongue set the entire country on fire" and blamed her for "igniting emotions across the country."
