‘DBU admission scandal’: Students face lathi-charge; Mufti says actions will 'alienate Kashmiris'

NEW DELHI: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti today condemned the lathi-charge on female students protesting against the Desh Bhagat University’s (DBU) decision to transfer Kashmiri students without their consent. The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association had written to Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann to help the Kashmiri students.

The Kashmiri nursing students have been protesting for the past two months against the university administration's “arbitrary” decision to transfer their admissions to a Sardar Lal Singh College that lacks approval from the Indian Nursing Council (INC) and PNRC (Punjab Nursing Registration Council).

“Today, while peacefully protesting, female students were subjected to a lathi charge and confined within a university building to silence their voices against this unjust decision,” the students group said.

Desh Bhagat University has transferred approximately 70 Kashmiri students. “This unilateral move by the university has been ongoing since last year when around 500 students from the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, pursuing various paramedical courses at Desh Bhagat University, found themselves caught in a situation beyond their control,” J-K Students Association national convenor Nasir Khuehami said.

Also Read | JKSA urge Indian Nursing Council to support Kashmiri students ‘arbitrarily’ transferred from DBU

“Lathi charging Kashmiri students & misbehaving with girls for protesting against a university that’s wreaked their future is completely uncalled for. Request Bhagwant Mann ji to kindly look into this matter. Such actions alienate Kashmiris even further,” Mehbooba Mufti tweeted on X.

Lathi charging Kashmiri students & misbehaving with girls for protesting against a university that’s wreaked their future is completely uncalled for. Request @BhagwantMann ji to kindly look into this matter. Such actions alienate Kashmiris even further. @CMOPb @PunjabPoliceInd… https://t.co/jfsji862KD

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) September 15, 2023

Calling it DBU admission scandal, the students group claimed that the university had admitted 140 students, far exceeding the approved intake capacity, which ranges from 40 to 60 students. However, when the issue was raised, the university administration assured that the matter will be solved, it said. But it was not.

The students are currently in their third year of studies and have been informed by the DBU administration that they must cancel their admissions.

Addressing the Union health minister and Punjab CM, the J-K students group said: “We demand justice for these students who have been unjustly caught in this predicament. A transparent and expeditious investigation is required to determine how DBU admitted more students than permitted by the Indian Nursing Council and to hold those responsible accountable.”