Kerala MPs have petitioned Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over an attack on four Malayali students at the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU) in Madhya Pradesh's Amarkantak.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the attack, allegedly by security personnel, “highlights the need to resist the growing hostility towards individuals based on their identities in our country”.
CPM's Members of Parliament, Elamaram Kareem and AA Rahim have written to Minister Pradhan demanding proper action.
"It should be mentioned that these students have consistently faced discrimination and many other types of harassment on campus. They have been targeted on the basis of their religion, language and ethnicity," wrote Rahim.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted: "Shocked to learn of such brutality against students for an inadvertent and trivial offence within their own university precincts. I stand on solidarity with the Tribal University students & demand full accountability from those who behaved so monstrously with admin's complicity.”
IGNTU's public relations officer, Vijay Dixit said: “An argument broke out between the students and security personnel over clicking pictures at a water tank near the university's main gate on the night of March 10.
“The matter escalated into a fight, following which security personnel approached the Amarkantak police station with a complaint against the students, who in turn demanded that the university administration take action against the security staff.”
Four students sustained injuries and were rushed to Anuppur district hospital in an ambulance, the PRO said.
(with PTI inputs)
