The police chief of Ahmedabad, GS Malik, said they have filed a complaint and formed nine teams to look into the incident.
Ahmedabad: Last night, a group of people stormed a hostel at Gujarat University and attacked students from Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, who were supposedly there to conduct namaz. As a result, five international students were hurt.
After the state home minister, Harsh Sanghavi, talked to Gujarat’s top police officers and told them to investigate properly, Ahmedabad Police arrested two people linked to the incident. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that they are coordinating with the Gujarat government and promised severe punishment for those who attacked the international students.
According to the students, there is no mosque on the campus in Ahmedabad. They gathered inside the hostel to pray taraweeh, which is a night time prayer during Ramadan. Shortly after, a group of people armed with sticks and knives entered the hostel, attacked them, and damaged their rooms, the students claimed. They also said that the hostel security guard attempted to stop the attackers but was unsuccessful.
A student from Afghanistan stated that members of the mob shouted slogans and questioned why they were praying in the hostel. “They also attacked us inside our rooms. They broke our laptops, phones, and damaged our bikes,” he explained.
The student mentioned that among the five injured students, one is from Afghanistan, one from Sri Lanka, one from Turkmenistan, and two are from African countries. “When the police showed up, the mob ran away. The injured students are currently in the hospital, and they have contacted their embassies,” he added.
Images circulated on social media displayed bikes in disrepair, laptops smashed, and rooms in chaos. Some visuals depicted individuals throwing stones at the hostel and verbally attacking the foreign students. In these images, the international students expressed their fear and stated that such behavior was unacceptable.
In a video, a young person in the crowd asks a security guard, “Why are they praying here, is this the right place?” Then, a student screams, goes towards the young person, and attacks them. Some people on social media have suggested that this incident sparked the violence by the mob.
Hyderabad MP and leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Asaduddin Owaisi, criticized the incident and questioned whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah will step in to address it.
In a post on X, he expressed his disappointment, saying, “It’s shameful. Religious devotion and slogans surface only when Muslims peacefully practice their religion. There’s inexplicable anger just at the sight of Muslims. Isn’t this mass radicalization? This is the home state of @AmitShah & @narendramodi. Will they step in to send a clear message? I’m not hopeful. @DrSJaishankar, internal anti-Muslim hatred is tarnishing India’s reputation.”
Ahmedabad city police commissioner GS Malik explained, “Around 300 international students from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and African countries study here. Yesterday, some of them were praying on the terrace. When questioned by outsiders about why they were praying there instead of a mosque, an argument broke out and turned into a fight. The outsiders then threw stones and damaged the hostel rooms.”
The senior officer mentioned that the police quickly responded to a call. “We’ve formed nine teams to investigate. One person has been identified, and we’ve received complaints against 20-25 individuals. An FIR has been filed. We’ll review the circulating videos and take strong action against the culprits,” he stated. He added that the situation is now manageable.
Gujarat University Vice-Chancellor Dr Neerja A Gupta told the media that there was some tension between those in the mob and some overseas students, and yesterday’s events led to an escalation. “The matter is under police investigation now,” she said.
Dr. Gupta emphasized the importance of cultural sensitivity training for overseas students. “As these students are from abroad, it’s crucial for them to understand cultural differences. They’ll receive orientation sessions where we’ll discuss cultural awareness and ways to enhance their security,” he explained.
The Ministry of External Affairs stated that the Gujarat government is taking strong action against those who attacked the international students at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad. Two foreign students were injured, and one has already been discharged after medical treatment. The MEA is coordinating with the Gujarat government to address the situation. This information was shared by MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on X.
