KU students protest against Muzamil’s arrest

Srinagar: Amidst heavy rains, hundreds of male and female students of Kashmir University held a massive protest against the detention of an English Department student by police and locked down the gates of varsity and Vice Chancellor’s secretariat.
Witnesses told Srinagar-based news agency GNS that the students boycotted their classes and assembled near VC secretariat. The students resorted to massive sloganeering and demanded immediate release of Muzamil Dar. Dar was detained by police couple of days ago from his rented accommodation at Sadrabal in Hazaratbal area.
The students were shouting slogans like “release Muzamil” and “we want Muzamil back”.
“We approached VC in the morning but he clearly told us that he is involved in some case and nothing would happen at this moment and then he went inside his office,” a group of agitating students told GNS. “The cold shoulder by VC infuriated the students and they locked down Sir Syed gate and Maulana Rumi gate. The students also locked administrate block which houses VC Secretariat,” the students informed.
Witnesses said the students continued their protest despite heavy rains. “Later, the two students were called by administration and they met the detained youth,” sources in University said, adding that despite repeated pleas by KU administration as well as father of detained youth, the students didn’t call off their protest.
Witnesses said the many of the protesting girl students later went on hunger strike. They were holding placards which read “fasting till death”.
Later, sources said, the KU VC assured students that the detained youth would be released soon as he has spoken to higher authorities.
The agitating students, however, told GNS that the protest would continue in the varsity till Muzamil is not released from the custody.
(GNS)