NIT unrest: With National Flag in hands, students begin 'Chalo NIT' march' from Delhi

New Delhi, April 9: In an attempt to show solidarity with the outstation students at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Jammu and Kashmir, around 150 students on Saturday embarked on 'Chalo NIT' march. Students from different states gathered in Delhi first and then they began their journey to Srinagar.

Reportedly, students who had national flag in their hands came from 12 different states.

Earlier, talks between the government and the non-local students of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) failed to end the deadlock as the boys and girls stuck to their demands, including shifting the institute out of the Valley.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is also expected to fly down to the summer capital Srinagar from Jammu, a day after her deputy Nirmal Singh met representatives of protesting non-local students and held five-hour long talks with them on Friday.

Education Minister Naeem Akhtar, a three-member team of union human resources development ministry, NIT-Srinagar Director Rohit Gupta and senior civil and police officers were also present in the meeting held at Nirmal Singh's official residence here.

Nirmal Singh said most of the demands of the agitating students had been accepted, but they were told that shifting of the NIT outside the valley "was out of question".

Trouble began after some students of NIT-Srinagar allegedly celebrated India's loss to the West Indies in a T20 cricket match last week. Non-local students objected to the celebrations and countered them with their own demonstration in India's support.

The non-local students alleged that they were beaten up by Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel and have been demanding that the college may be shifted to a safer place outside the valley.

OneIndia News

(With inputs from IANS)