NIT Srinagar row: Ensure students feel safe, Rajnath Singh tells Mehbooba Mufti

Rajnath Singh talked to Jammu and Kashmir CM regarding NIT Srinagar issue.

Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday met Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti regarding (National Institute of Technology) NIT Srinagar issue and asked her to make the students feel safe.

News agency ANI quoted sources as saying, "Rajnath Singh conveyed to J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti that environment should be made such that students feel safe and comfortable."

Also, @HMOIndia tweeted saying, "J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti called on the Union Home Minister in New Delhi today."

Earlier on April 05, Rajnath had spoken to Mufti.

"Spoke to J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti ji regarding the situation in NIT Srinagar. She has assured me to look into the issue and take immediate action," he had tweeted.

On the other hand, Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani said today, "Law and order is not an issue of MHRD, its a state issue."

"As far as postponement of exams is concerned, we've registered each and every student who have sought postponement. But students who want to give exams on time should be able to do and therefore we have held the exams as per schedule for those students," she added.

Meanwhile, the Board of Governors of NIT met yesterday and took stock of the situation following the recent unrest on the campus following clashes between local and outstation students last week.

During the meeting which was presided over by MJ Zarabi, Chairman of the Board of Governors of NIT Srinagar, it was decided that attempts be made to restore normalcy at the earliest and academic activity be brought back on track, official sources had said, as per PTI.

The sources had added that the eight members of Governing Board, also comprising officials from the HRD ministry and the state government, were apprised of the current situation and incidents that had taken place last week after India lost the T-20 world cup semi-final cricket match to West Indies.

It was suggested that the faculty members should regularly interact with outstation students and also ensure a bonhomie between local and non-local students.

NIT Srinagar has been at the centre of a controversy since April 1 when clashes broke out between outstation and local students following India's defeat to West Indies in the World T20 Cup.

The situation worsened on April 5 when outstation students tried to take out a march outside the campus but were stopped by the police, leading to incidents of violence including vandalism by students and lathicharge by police.

(With PTI inputs)