MEA Engages with Gujarat Government Following Attack on Foreign Students Over Namaz

The Ministry of External Affairs has initiated communication with the Gujarat government following a disturbing incident involving a mob attack on several foreign students at the Gujarat University hostel during their observance of Namaz. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal issued a statement in response to the incident, stating, “A regrettable act of violence occurred at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad recently. The state government is actively pursuing stringent measures against those responsible. Two foreign students sustained injuries during the altercation, with one of them having been discharged from the hospital after receiving necessary medical care. The MEA remains engaged with the Gujarat government on this matter.”

Last night, at the Gujarat University hostel, there was a terrible incident where a group of people attacked international students from different countries including Africa, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan. They were attacked while they were praying inside the hostel because there is no mosque on the campus. The students were offering a special prayer called Taraweeh, which is done during Ramadan.

The mob, armed with sticks and knives, stormed the hostel, hurt the students, and damaged their belongings. Despite the security guard’s efforts, the mob couldn’t be stopped.

One student from Afghanistan shared that the attackers questioned their right to pray there and caused damage to their belongings, including laptops, phones, and bikes. Five students were injured, including one from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan, and two from African countries. The attackers left before the police arrived, and the injured students have informed their embassies.

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Social media posts showed the extent of the damage, with broken bikes, laptops, and rooms. Some videos depicted people throwing stones at the hostel and verbally abusing the international students. The students expressed fear and stated that this behavior is unacceptable.

In one video, a member of the mob questioned why the students were praying there, which seemed to provoke further violence. Asaduddin Owaisi, a political figure, criticized the incident and asked whether the Prime Minister and Home Minister would take action.