In the light of Kashmiri students being attacked in various parts of the country in reaction to the dastardly terror attack on Friday in Kashmir’s Pulwama, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara called for people to stay “united”. He stated that harassing, attacking or abusing Kashmiri students for the terror attack won’t solve the issue. In a tweet, he also asked those needing help to reach out to Bengaluru City Police, tagging the city police commissioner in the post.
Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Parameshwara, said, “In troubled times, it is imperative to stay united. Harassing, attacking or abusing #KashmiriStudents is not the solution for anything. Students from #JammuAndKashmir, please reach out to @BlrCityPolice or @CPBlr if you're feeling unsafe and need help. We are one.”
The Deputy Chief Minister was commenting on a tweet by the CRPF, which has launched a helpline 14411 and (SMS 7082814411) for Kashmiris outside the state facing harassment.
In troubled times, it is imperative to stay united. Harassing, attacking or abusing #KashmiriStudents is not the solution for anything.
— Dr. G Parameshwara (@DrParameshwara) February 17, 2019
Students from #JammuAndKashmir, please reach out to @BlrCityPolice or @CPBlr if you're feeling unsafe and need help. We are one. https://t.co/CpDzcKDdvX
The attack, which was carried out by a Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bomber, killed 42 CRPF jawans, including 33-year-old H Guru, who hailed from Karnataka’s Mandya district. Soon after the attack, many students and traders from Kashmir were attacked and harassed by mobs in various parts of the country, including Dehradun, Jodhpur, Ambala, Panchkula, Delhi and Patna.
Even former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, asking a nodal officer from the union ministry to address such concerns on Saturday.
Even though there have been no reports of violence or harassment against Kashmiri individuals or establishments in the city, many on social media have offered their help, including shelter, to Kashmiri natives.
Meanwhile, police in Bengaluru arrested one Kashmiri engineering student, Thahir Shazad Latif, for allegedly voicing support for the terrorists while taunting and ridiculing the Indian armed forces on Facebook. He is currently in judicial custody after being booked for sedition, criminal conspiracy and promoting enmity between different groups.
The Bengaluru police have booked another Kashmiri man for a similar Facebook post after the Pulwama attack. He was thought to be a resident of Bengaluru but a preliminary investigation revealed that he had moved back to Kashmir six months ago.