At the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar, a non-local student found himself at the centre of controversy, having been booked for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through a social media post.
Inspector General of Police, V K Birdi said that the video shared in the post, which led to protests on Tuesday evening, was not originally created by the accused student but was shared by a YouTuber.
“The police received information about a protest at NIT campus. Upon investigation, it surfaced that a student had posted a video on social media that hurt people’s sentiments, especially religious sentiments,” said IG Birdi.
“The video was not the student’s own but was shared by a YouTuber. Tuesday evening witnessed protests at NIT Campus following the discovery of the social media post by students,” he said.
The video, allegedly shared by the student, contained derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad, and protests erupted at the NIT campus, with demands for action against the non-local student. The accused student has been sent home on leave.
In the viral video, Mosab Hassan Yousef, a former Israeli undercover agent, during a conference says, “Let’s look at Prophet Muhammad’s life. Did he kill people? Yes. Did he marry a 9-year-old child? Yes, he did. Did he kill the Jewish community of Khyber because they did not give him the treasures? And did he have physical relations with Sophia the wife of Kinana the leader of that community the same night he killed her husband? Yes, he did. So where is the tolerance in that? I understand the Muslims are tolerant, But the real nature of Islam is evil.”
After the protests, classwork at the NIT campus has been suspended, affecting all academic activities, including classes, examinations, and administrative work. The decision was communicated through a notification issued by the in-charge Registrar of NIT Srinagar, Atikur Rehman.
The incident has gained traction on social media; users expressed their opinions and demanded justice.
“No no no. This cannot be tolerated at all. Our Prophet (S.A.W) is our pride and the red line. Arrest the #NIT #Srinagar student who made derogatory remarks against our Prophet (SAW) by posting a video on social media and make sure that he understands what the red line means,” wrote a user on X.
Meanwhile, protests broke out at the Amar Singh College and several other places in Srinagar on Wednesday.
In 2016, the campus witnessed closure following clashes during an India-Pakistan cricket match, and again during the T20 World Cup semi-final when celebrations by local students after India’s loss against West Indies sparked protests and clashes with their outstation counterparts.
