Police in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have arrested three Kashmiri students for allegedly celebrating Pakistan’s win over India in Sunday’s T20 World Cup cricket game.
Police stated that they shouted “anti-India and pro-Pakistan” slogans during the match and they were charged with “promoting enmity and cyber terrorism”.
The arrests in the city of Agra are only the latest in the crackdown against Muslims for allegedly cheering the Pakistani team.
The three students were suspended on Monday by their college for allegedly posting WhatsApp status in praise of the Pakistani cricketers. Police said that they were arrested on Wednesday after a complaint by some members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
“These people are trying to stir tension, which might spoil the atmosphere of the country,” news website Quint reported, quoting the police complaint against them.
Since Sunday, several other Muslims have gotten into trouble for cheering for the Pakistani cricket team. In Rajasthan, a school teacher lost her job for sharing a celebratory post following Pakistan’s victory. She was also arrested on Wednesday. Several students and staff at two medical colleges were charged under an anti-terror law for shouting pro-Pakistan slogans during the match.
After the game, hundreds of Kashmiris poured out into the streets in celebration and chanted “Long live Pakistan” in the Himalayan region, which has seen a decades-long armed insurgency against Delhi, according to Associated Press.
Both India and Pakistan claim the territory in its entirety but control only parts of the region. The nuclear-armed neighbours have gone to war twice over it.
Sources: BBC, Daily Mail
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