Mehbooba Mufti Slams Arrest Of Kashmiri Students Who Cheered For Australia In Cricket World Cup Final Vs India

Mehbooba Mufti said that the students were booked under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and accused the authorities of ruining their future.

Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday criticised the administration for arresting seven Kashmiri students who allegedly celebrated Australia’s victory over India in the cricket World Cup final on November 19. She said that the students were booked under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and accused the authorities of ruining their future.

“It’s sad, sport is sport. Our PM goes and cheers for opposition team too. In J&K they claim things are fine here then why this fear? What’s wrong in cheering for Australia? How many will you put in jail? Youth, journalists are being booked under UAPA, it’s for terrorists and you slap it on them. Now they are using this for students and ruining them,” she said.

She also compared the situation in Kashmir to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza and said, “Do it at once whatever you want to do like Israel is doing with Gaza.”

She appealed to the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to intervene and release the students, who were enrolled at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology in Ganderbal district.

The students were arrested on Monday after a complaint by a fellow student from Punjab, who alleged that they abused and threatened him for supporting India and shouted pro-Pakistan slogans after the match. The police have registered a case of public mischief and criminal intimidation against them, besides invoking the UAPA, which allows detention without trial for up to six months.