Dehradun February 17: Kashmiri girls on Sunday denied reports of they being locked up in a hostel room in Dehradun in the wake of protests against Pulwama terror attack. In a video, posted by Uttarakhand police, Kashmiri students said they were scared by a gathering of some agitated people, however, the police and administration ensured their safety. State chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat also warned of strict action against rumour mongers.

"Yesterday some people had come here just to disturb us. They were shouting 'Kashmiri people come out' because they were very agitated. So we got a bit scared. But the hostel management, police force and particularly our college management provided us with full safety. There is no sort of disturbance prevailing now. We are fine," a student of Dolphin Institute who resides at Nest Hostel in Dehradun is heard saying in the video. Pulwama Terror Attack: How CRPF Jawans Fell in JeM Trap.

In a tweet, CM Rawat also rejected reports of violence against Kashmiri students living in Dehradun. "An attempt is being made by ppl with questionable motives to malign our state. No, I REPEAT NO incident of beating or harassment of Kashmiri students has been reported anywhere in the state. I am making it clear that law-breakers,including rumour mongers will NOT be spared either (sic)," he tweeted.

Earlier today, Ashok Kumar, Director General of Police (DGP), Law and Order, also denied media reports that some Kashmiri girls were trapped in their hostel for hours. "There were rumours yesterday that a few Kashmiri girls were trapped in a hostel in Dehradun for hours due to the presence of an angry mob. This is not true as the police sorted out the issue. Initially, there was some confusion regarding pro-Pakistan slogans raised by the Kashmiri girls, but later the matter was resolved by the police," Kumar said.

Since Friday, right-wing organisations such as the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) have been holding protest marches here raising anti-Pakistan slogans in the wake of the Pulwama attack. The situation turned worse after a couple of Kashmiri students studying in the city allegedly posted some anti-national comments on social media, leading to trouble around a couple of educational institutions, the police said.

K Aysir Rashid, a Kashmiri student studying at Subharti University, was arrested on Friday after he allegedly posted an offensive comment on social media regarding the Pulwama attack. He was placed under suspension by the university authorities on Saturday. Another Kashmiri student was taken into preventive custody in Roorkee in Haridwar district for posting alleged anti-national remarks on social media.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 17, 2019 06:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).