 Early Times Report
Rajouri, Oct 30: Even as two students of the government higher secondary school at Sialsoi in Kalakote, Rajouri, were today identified by police for raising pro-Pak slogans, other students and hundreds of villagers held a protest, demanding the arrest of all the accused and stern action against them.
At least eight students were alleged to be involved in the anti-national act inside the school premises, according to police sources.
Quoting locals, sources said a group of students yesterday raised pro-Pak slogans inside the premises of government higher secondary school, Sialsui, creating a scene. As mark of protest, hundreds of Sialsui residents today protested in the village, demanding immediate arrest of all the guilty students. They said the pro-Pakistan elements were trying to disturb peace in the area and urged the higher police authorities to immediately identify all the accused and book them under law.
The angry students also put locks on the school entrance and did not allow anybody to enter the premises. Sources, however, said on the police intervention, the school later functioned normally.
“We are investigating the matter and trying to ascertain the facts,” Rajouri SSP Rajeshwar Singh said.
He said that police were on the job and action as per law would be taken against those found involved in disrupting the peace.
Sources said after the class test in education subject before the last period, some arguments took place between the 12th class students.
“During the arguments, some students started raising pro-Pakistan slogans in the varandha and later inside the classroom,” said Sialsui sarpanch Ranjeet Singh.
After the incident, school principal Anil Gujral called a staff meeting and it was decided to summon the parents of the accused students in the morning assembly and messages were accordingly sent to them through other students. “As the accused students and their parents didn’t turn up in the morning, other students closed the gates of the school and started raising slogans, demanding action against the accused students,” the sources added.
The students were also joined by the inhabitants and shopkeepers of Sialsui, led by the sarpanch. Soon after the protest began, tehsildar and SHO of the local police station reached the school and tried to pacify the agitated students and locals.
“Had the accused students and their parents come to the school, the matter would have been settled amicably, but their absence irritated others and it was decided to lodge an FIR against the guilty as the protesters didn’t allow the school to function and also warned similar protest on Saturday if police failed to take any action,” the sarpanch said.
On the complaint of the school principal, police had lodged case FIR No57/15 under section 153 of RPC and started a probe, sources said. Some of the students who raised pro-Pak slogans were identified as Mohammad Hanief, Mohammad Altaf, Mohammad Arfan and Ishtiyaq Ahmed. Police, however, said two accused students had been identified and efforts were on to apprehend them.
Meanwhile, BJP leader and State Gujjar and Bakerwal Advisory Board member Wasim Kohli, Sardari Lal ,BJP Mandal president, and Vikram Sharma, Bajrang Dal leader, sought to downplay the incident.
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