Indian home minister urges states to ensure safety of Kashmiri students

Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday that all states should ensure safety of Kashmiri students living in the country.

"I appeal to everyone to ensure the safety of Kashmiri students living in other parts of the country. Kashmiris are a part of our family," Singh said. "The Kashmiri youth also contribute in the progress of India."

Singh's appeal came against the backdrop of recent attacks on Kashmiri students in Rajasthan and surfacing of threat banners in Uttar Pradesh asking Kashmiris to leave.

Singh demanded actions against the people who attack Kashmiris.

"Action should be taken by the states against those who target them (Kashmiris)," he said.

"I have asked the home secretary to immediately issue an advisory to all the states to ensure the safety and security of Kashmiri students," Singh said.

On Wednesday evening, a group of Kashmiri students studying at Mewar University in Rajasthan were injured after being attacked by locals.

In Uttar Pradesh, banners calling for boycott of Kashmiris and asking them to leave have come up in Meerut district along the Delhi-Dehradun highway.

Reports said the fresh outrage against Kashmiris in some states is over stone pelting on Indian paramilitary troopers in the restive region.

Many people from Indian-controlled Kashmir currently live in various Indian states, either studying or working.

A separatist movement and guerrilla war challenging New Delhi's rule is going on in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. Endit