Ahmedabad: There was a clash between foreign and locals at the Gujarat University hostel. The laptops, AC, in room number 23 of ‘A’ block and vehicles of students parked in the open outside suffered damages. The incident happened at around 10 PM on March 16. A police complaint was filed at 12.45 am today. The security person responsible for Gujarat University hostel is complainant in this case according to Police.

Group clash at Gujarat University hostel; the clash triggered after a foreign student Harun Afghani slapped a person on asking why Namaz was offered in open in the hostel campus which is neither a mosque nor madresa https://t.co/gKaq7fj5m6 pic.twitter.com/x38MZ08Cjk

— DeshGujarat (@DeshGujarat) March 17, 2024

There are around 300 foreign students from Afghanistan, Africa, Sri Lanka and other countries. There are 75 foreign students in ‘A’ block of hostel. They were offering Namaz in open. Some persons came there from outside and asked those offering Namazm, why they were offering namaz in open, this is not mosque or madresa! Angry with this intervention, one Afghani students identified as Harun Afghani rushed there and slapped a saffron scarf wearing Hindu youth. This slap of Afghani student triggered clash.

Two foreign students from Sri Lanka and central Asian country are injured in this incident and attending medical treatment according to Police. The City Police commissioner said, police rushed there within ten minutes. He said various videos of the clash including the slap are being verified, he further stated.

On site visit, it has been found that a wall and stage was used as open mosque recently by foreign students. Arabic text ‘Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim (In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) was put up on the wall. Namaz was offered by foreign students in group at this place multiple times a day.

An Afghan student speaking to a regional media channel said, they want to shift to safer place after attack in their hostel room last night in which, the room was ransacked and AC, laptop and other things were badly damaged. He said, the attack came from a larger number of persons.

Congress and AIMIM have raised voices in favor of foreign students. AIMIM chief Owaisi has shared videos captured from foreign students’ sides in a fashion to give it a communal color. Former Congress MLA Gyasuddin Sheikh has also raised voice for foreign students and demanded stringent actions.

What a shame. When your devotion & religious slogans only come out when Muslims peacefully practice their religion. When you become unexplainably angry at the mere sight of Muslims. What is this, if not mass radicalisation? This is the home state of @AmitShah & @narendramodi,… https://t.co/OshZUIoWjl

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) March 16, 2024

ACP, DCP level officials reached Gujarat University hostel. The Vice Chancellor of University also reached the spot. 9 teams are formed to probe into this incident by the city Police. MoS Home also held a meeting with the Commissioner of Police at the State circuit house.

A top students organization ABVP has in a statement said – ‘The incident of assault on foreign students studying in Gujarat University raises questions over the safety of students in the university. Students from different countries are staying in the hostels of the campus, whose security is the responsibility of the University.

On Saturday night, students were assaulted by outside elements in the hostel, vandalism of hostels also took place. This type of incident in the university has raised a big question on the safety of the students.

State Secretary Samarth Bhatt said, “The incident of assault and vandalism against students in the hostel premises exposes the hostel and university administration. It is also necessary to investigate the role of Congress and other religious elements who instigated the students in the above incident. ABVP demands strictest action from Gujarat government and police administration against those accused of instigating students and assault and vandalism. ABVP also demands the university administration to make necessary arrangements for the security of the students studying in the hostel and campus.’

Bajrang Dal Gujarat has meanwhile in its tweet stated that the cadres were accompanied with the guard (security guard of campus). Unvarified handle of Bajrang Dal Gujarat further stated that when attacked, Hindu community gives reaction and will continue to give reaction.

गुजरात यूनिवर्सिटी में जो घटना हुई इसका पहले सत्य देखना चाहिए,
गार्ड को साथ में लेकर गए कार्यकर्ताओं को नमाज़ पढ़ रहे लोगों को कार्यर्ताओ ने मना किया , उसमें नमाज़ीयो ने उग्र होकर हमला करते है फिर उसका रिएक्शन हिंदू समाज देता है, और आगे भी देता रहेगा।#Gujarat pic.twitter.com/spQ98rtF7v

— Bajrang Dal Gujarat (@Bajrangdal_Guj) March 17, 2024

An FIR was registered against 20-25 unidentified accused persons under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for rioting, unlawful assembly, voluntarily causing hurt, damage to property, and criminal trespass, among others. Two persons identified as Hitesh Mevada and Bharat Patel were arrested, DCP (Zone 7) Tarun Duggal told a news agency.

ગુજરાત યુનિવર્સિટી કેમ્પસ માં ગઈકાલ રાત્રે તા.૧૬/૦૩/૨૦૨૪ ના રોજ ગુજરાત યુનીવર્સીટી પોલીસ સ્ટેશન વિસ્તારમાં બનેલ બનાવના આરોપીઓની ગણતરીના સમયમાં અટકાયત કરતી અમદાવાદ શહેર ક્રાઇમ બ્રાન્ચ. pic.twitter.com/9PdVcXJpIA

— Ahmedabad Police અમદાવાદ પોલીસ (@AhmedabadPolice) March 17, 2024

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said one of the two foreign students injured in the violence has been discharged from hospital.

“An incidence of violence took place at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad yesterday. State government is taking strict action against the perpetrators,” he said on ‘X’.

In another development, University’s Estate engineer Shailesh Goswami has been expelled. The University has formed a foreign students advisory. Ex-Army men will be deployed at all blocks of University hostel.

DeshGujarat