Terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba SCHOLARSHIP FOR KASHMIRI STUDENTS

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Terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba SCHOLARSHIP FOR KASHMIRI STUDENTS Anti-India rants ring again even as UP govt drops charges against Kashmiri students. LUCKNOW and SRINAGAR: Terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba on Thursday added itself to the cast of characters in the bizarre Meerut sedition case drama. Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, the chief of Lashkar front Jamaat-ud-Dawah, sought to fan the flames of the Swami Vivekanand Subharti University incident, offering the 68 Kashmiri students suspended over cheering for Pakistan in Sunday’s Asia Cup match against India full scholarships to study anywhere in the world. The Pakistan government got into the act too, with the foreign office spokesperson invoking “ hearts and institutions”, and offering scholarships. Brazen as this was, the Meerut drama had rolled on regardless through the day. The Meerut Police first filed cases against the Kashmiri students under sections 124 (A), 153 (A) and 427 of the Indian Penal Code. Section 124 (A) pertains to sedition, and is a non-bailable offence. Sections 153 (A) and 427 pertain to promoting enmity between different religions or doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of social harmony, and mischief causing damage to property. By evening, the Uttar Pradesh government had been pounded by criticism from all around, and the sedition charges — for which punishment can go up to a life term — were revoked. By then, Hafiz Saeed had already jumped at the chance. “We would like to offer scholarships for these expelled students wherever in the world they want to study; Pakistani nation is proud of them,” Saeed tweeted. He followed it up with: “Indian mindset against Kashmiris is exposed yet again by this sad incident, while immense love for Pakistan by Kashmiris is very clear too.” Saeed described the act of the students as a significant development. “Expulsion of Kashmiri students from a university & charges of sedition for supporting Pakistan in cricket explains how ‘democratic’ India is,” he declared. Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam did her bit at her weekly press briefing. “We saw Indian media reports that there were all-night celebrations and there were also reports that 67 (sic) Kashmiri students were expelled,” she said. Admitting that she does not have any way of corroborating that information, Aslam said, “ If these Kashmiri students want to come and pursue their studies in Pakistan, our hearts and academic institutions are open to them.” Told about the sedition charges, Aslam said, “For cheering a team in a cricket match? If this is sedition, it is very unfortunate.” In Meerut, Deputy Inspector General of Police K. Satyanarayan, said, "The police have not found substance in the sedition charge against the Kashmiri students and Section 124 (A) has been dropped from the case. However, the police will go ahead with Section 153 ( A) and 427 IPC against them.” It is believed that this decision was taken after J& K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah talked to his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Akhilesh Yadav and requested him to look into the charges against the students sympathetically. Most of the Kashmiri students are part of the Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme. The decision to drop sedition charges may only provide fresh fodder to the drama. University registrar BK Garg said they were avoiding controversy. “In fact there were only five or six students who were involved in sloganeering and violence on the campus. We had suspended 68 students because they had refused to divulge the names of those students. There are more than 250 Kashmiri students on our rolls in several courses. We will provide to the police the names of all Kashmiri students. The police can interrogate them to find out the culprits,” he said. “But we want the students to mend their ways and concentrate on their career,” he added. PM’S SCHOLARS INCIDENTALLY, most of these Kashmiri students secured admission in the Swami Vivekanand Subharti University under the Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme for J&K. In 2011, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced Rs 1,200 crore package for students of Kashmir to study medical, engineering and other courses in colleges across the country. The announcement was made on recommendations of an expert committee headed by C Rangarajan for encouraging the youth of the troubled state to pursue higher studies outside. Under the scheme, students who passed class XII examinations and with annual family income of Rs 6 lakh were eligible for the scholarship. The scheme included tuition and hostel fee of Rs 1.30 lakh, per annum, for students in general education; while for the engineering students the tuition and hostel fee notched up to Rs 2.5 lakh. For medical students it’s Rs 4 lakh, per annum