Rajasthan: Students at Mewar University attacked by Kashmiri peers for celebrating Chandrayaan-3 success

An engineering student named Ayush Gupta, from Gulabpur, and his peers were attacked by Kashmiri students for celebrating the successful landing of Chandrayaan 3 at Mewar University at Gangrar in Chittorgarh. The entire country celebrated the groundbreaking success of India’s lunar mission on 23 August and they too rejoiced on the momentous occasion.

However, it didn’t go down well with some other students of the institution. Footage of the alarming episode showed some pupils armed with swords and sticks while other students could be seen running.

Rajasthan- A student studying engineering at Mewar University of Gangrar in Chittorgarh district was attacked by Kashmiri students for celebrating the successful landing of #Chandrayaan3 .

Condition of a student named Ayush is said to be serious after being attacked by a sharp… pic.twitter.com/ndlFiNXZY4

— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) August 27, 2023

Ayush Sharma was having food in the mess when he raised pro-India slogans like Bharat Mata ki Jai and Vande Mataram along with other students when the Vikram lander of the Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully made a soft landing on the lunar surface. Some other students also joined him in the celebrations. But some Kashmiri students present there were not happy with this celebration, and objected to the same.

This led ot an argument between the two groups. But this turned a violent turn when 10 to 12 Kashmiri students assaulted them with sharp weapons to illustrate their displeasure. Ayush Sharma along with another youngster suffered significant injuries as a result. They somehow managed to escape from there after which they were admitted to a hospital in Gangrar from where the former was referred to Udaipur by the doctors.

After this, the Muslim Kashmiri students engaged in sloganeering within the campus and marched around the campus of the institution carrying swords and other weapons. They were joined by outsiders whom the Kashmiri students had called. They can be heard chanting the Islamic slogan of ‘Allah hu Akbar’ in the videos of the incident.

Hindu organisation members also reached the institution after learning about the incident. This resulted in another confrontation between the two groups. The argument escalated between the two communities to the point that a major altercation broke out and more than a dozen individuals were wounded. Stones were reportedly pelted at them by Kashmiri students who chanted offensive slogans against Hindus.

Police arrived at the scene and resolved the conflict after receiving information about the occurrence. A large police presence was deployed outside the university during this time. Security measures are currently in place and order is maintained.

Police said that two First Information Reports have been registered in connection with the case. Gangrar Deputy Superintendent of Police Shrawan Das revealed, “We have arrested 36 (including 20 Kashmiri) students for disturbing the peace. The altercation occurred when the students were queuing up for food at the mess. Some students came at loggerheads.”

He further added, “They then called their respective groups in which six to seven students sustained injuries. Two FIRs have been registered. Additional police have been deployed. The situation is under control.” He mentioned that there are currently 600 Kashmiri students registered at the institution.

According to Harish Gurnani, director of the university, a minor issue has grown into a nuisance. When the senior and junior lined up to dine in the mess, a fight broke out over who would eat first and soon spiralled out of hand. The Kashmiri students shouted slogans out of indignation. The cops have taken some students into custody. The administration of the institution has established a committee and proper action will be taken after conducting an inquiry.

When the family of Ayush learned of the gruesome incident, they travelled to Udaipur and brought him to Gulabpura. He was eventually admitted to Gulabpura Hospital as his condition started to deteriorate once more. Now, preparations are underway to refer him. His family has demanded strict legal action against the culprits.