Kashmiri student arrested for comments on Babri mosque demolition

A student hailing from the Poonch area of occupied Jammu and Kashmir and pursuing bachelors of Pharmacy at Mewar University, Rajasthan, was arrested by the Rajasthan police for commenting on the demolished Babri Masjid and the construction of the Ram temple on the mosque site.

The arrest took place on January 26, following official sources’ confirmation that Sohrab Qayyum had allegedly made remarks regarding the historical Babri Masjid demolition and the subsequent construction of the Ram Mandir, according to Nasir Khuehami, the convenor of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA).

Kashmiri students have for long faced such detentions and harassments in mainland India. In 2023, in September, Kashmiri Muslim students were severely attacked at Desh Bhagat University in Punjab during their peaceful protest against the university’s move to illegally transfer their admissions to a college that lacks accreditation. Around 70 Kashmiri students were being illegally transferred, despite being in their third year of study already.

In October of 2021, Kashmiri students were attacked and beaten after Pakistan defeated India in a cricket match. On other occasions, Kashmiri students have been forced to chant pro-India, Hindu, or anti-Pakistan slogans.