4 Kashmiri students were allegedly beaten at Rajasthan's Mewar University.
Highlights
- Cops were called in to stop the alleged beating at Mewar University
- After attack, students arrested for 'disturbing peace' and later released
- Meat being cooked was not beef confirms initial test by veterinary board
Four Kashmiri students were allegedly beaten at a private university in Rajasthan over rumours that they were cooking beef in their hostel room.
After they were attacked, the same students were arrested by the police for "disturbing peace".
The incident took place on Monday at the Mewar University in Chittorgarh, about five hours from state capital Jaipur.
The students have been released but heavy police presence signals a tense campus.
The police said the situation was controlled before it could escalate.
The meat that the students were cooking was not beef, the police said later after initial tests by their veterinary board. The results of a forensic test are, however, not out yet.
Eating beef is illegal in Rajasthan and the Mewar University, like many in the state, doesn't allow non-vegetarian food.
The university says that what happened that day was actually a clash between two feuding groups of students.
"It was an internal matter between students," university media liaison officer Harish Gurnani said on Wednesday.
"Sometimes, these small fights happen because people are from different socio-cultural backgrounds," he told reporters.
The university, which offers many technical courses, has a large number of students from Jammu and Kashmir; some of them say they are upset by the controversy but want to get back to their classes.
Earlier this week, sources in the home ministry clarified that its advisory to colleges on students from Jammu and Kashmir had been misinterpreted.
The advisory that was sent in February to state governments said that "there is perception among the people of Jammu and Kashmir that their wards are being treated with suspicion and hostility" at colleges. Officials said that because families had complained that students have trouble finding housing, for example, they asked states to "ensure the protection of students from J&K".
The advisory asked for "utmost care and sensitivity" in handling Kashmiri students.
Last year, attacks over beef rumours, including the mob killing of a man in Uttar Pradesh's Dadri, were cited as examples of "rising intolerance" in India.