Hearing on Kashmiri students’ safety today

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear on Friday a PIL seeking direction to authorities to protect Kashmiri students who are allegedly being attacked in various parts of the country following the Pulwama terror strike. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices L N Rao and Sanjiv Khanna on Thursday took note of senior advocate Colin Gonsalves’ submission that the plea needed to be heard urgently as it relates to the safety and security of students.
The bench, which refused to list the plea for hearing on Thursday, however, assured Gonsalves that it will be listed for consideration on Friday.
The petitioners Tariq Adeeba and Olivia Bang alleged in their plea that students from Kashmir Valley are being attacked at different educational institutions across the country after the Pulwama terror attack and authorities concerned should be directed to take actions to stop such assaults.
“Order directing the Centre to direct the heads of all institutions particularly, but not restricted to, educational institutions, to take immediate steps to protect the lives and dignities of minorities and Kashmiris facing discrimination and attacks,” the plea said.
The petition, filed through advocate Satya Mitra, sought direction to the Centre for taking steps to prevent “threats, assaults, violent attacks, social boycotts, ostracism, evictions and other coercive acts” committed by groups and mobs against “Kashmiris and other minorities”.
The plea sought a direction to the Centre and other authorities for prosecuting people engaging in hate speech and appointment of a nodal officer in every state and union territory, including politically-sensitive districts to prevent any acts of violence, discrimination and vigilantism.
It also sought direction to the Centre and other authorities to immediately set up a nationwide helpline number and to establish a web site containing the contact details of the nodal officers appointed in politically-sensitive districts who are responsible for maintaining law and order.
“The extremist groups have led mob attacks across the country to enforce nationalism by leaders of various groups who claim to promote and instigated hate crimes, “the petition said. (PTI)