Outrage: Student protest continues against rape of a minor in Bandipora
Srinagar: There was no letup in the student protests that continued in Srinagar city and other parts of valley on Tuesday against the rape of a minor girl in Sumbal area of Bandipora district last week.
While the classwork remained suspended in colleges and various higher secondary schools in various parts of valley, Srinagar district administration had kept all the educational institutions functional on Tuesday.
The students of Women’s’ college MA road staged peaceful protest against the rape of minor and demanded stern action against the accused.
The students assembled inside the campus and were shouting slogans in favour of the victim and demanded stern punishment for the accused. The protest however, remained confined to the campus and culminated peacefully, witnesses said.
Meanwhile, student protest rocked Kashmir University (KU) against the inhuman act committed against the minor. The students were demanding exemplary punishment against the rape accused and said the government should conduct a fair probe into the incident.
Students of Boniyar higher secondary school in north Kashmir also staged peaceful protest against the Sumbal rape incident.
Earlier, clashed erupted in Amar Singh College and Bemina Degree College Srinagar after police tried to thwart students move to come out of the campus and stage protests on the roads.
Eyewitnesses said the students assembled inside the campus to protest against the rape incident and also tried to take out a march outside the college campus.
“But the Police party deployed outside the college stopped the students from coming out on roads triggering clashes in the area,” they said.
Students resorted to stone pelting from inside the campus to which police responded by lobbing tear gas shells inside the campus. The clashes created chaos in the area and disrupted the traffic movement as well, reports said.
Clashes also erupted outside Bemina Degree College here between students and JK Police after the campus erupted in massive protest against the Bandipora incident.
The students of Government Degree College (GDC) Kangan also staged a peaceful protest against the rape incident in Sumbal. Students assembled inside the campus and took a peaceful march on road to register their protest and later dispersed off peacefully.
Apprehending law and order problems, several educational institutions were closed by respective district authorities across the valley on Tuesday as a precautionary measure.
In Baramulla district, all schools in tehsil Pattan and Singhpora were shut, while Degree College and higher secondary schools in Baramulla and Sopore towns also remained closed, the officials said.
They said all government educational institutions including schools and colleges of tehsil Sonawari in Bandipora district also remained closed, while Government Degree College Ganderbal, government girls and boys higher secondary schools in Ganderbal town were also closed.
Class work remained suspended at Government Degree Colleges and Higher Secondary Schools in Anantnag and Bijbhera towns of district Anantnag on Tuesday, the officials said.
The authorities also ordered suspension of class work in Government Degree College Shopian and in Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), the officials said.
Groups of students, lawyers and various NGOs also held protests at the Press Enclave here, demanding exemplary punishment to the accused.
KV Correspondent
