Allegations have been made that on Monday while celebrating Holi with permission from the university administration, a group of students at Punjab University’s new campus were attacked by Islami Jamiat Tulba (IJT) activists. According to reports, the attack injured at least 15 Hindu students, and a police application has been made asking that a case be opened. Social internet is rife with videos of Hindu students being physically assaulted for celebrating Holi on campus.
At the incident at Punjab University, activists from Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) and members of the Hindu community got into a fight. The university administration has granted permission for the Sindh Council and Hindu community members to celebrate Holi. But, after seeing a Facebook invitation for the party, IJT militants began sending threats. 15 people were hurt when IJT activists used firearms and batons to attack members of the Hindu community and the Sindh Council on the day of the event. Later, when the hurt students protested outside the vice chancellor’s office, security personnel showed up and began bashing them with batons. Even vans were used to remove some students. In response to the IJT activists’ and security guards’ aggressive actions, the Sindh Council asked the authorities and police to open an investigation. The IJT representative responded by denying involvement in the assault and promising that their organisation will safeguard equality for minority communities. The university official said that those students who attacked members of the minority community will face consequences and that the security personnel did not fight the students but rather attempted to keep them away from the vice chancellor’s office. The spokesman added that although the administration had enabled the Hindu community to celebrate Holi in a venue, they had done it outside, in violation of the rules.