Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani today said she has received assurance from Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti over maintaining law and order at NIT Srinagar where students from outside that State were caned by police during an unrest at the campus.
Irani also said officials from her Ministry were at the campus to help worried students and their parents.
"law and order is a matter of state, and I have talked to Mehbooba Mufti. She has not only assured me that students there are safe, but has also initiated an inquiry as to how such an incident happened there," she told reporters here on a question related to violence at NIT in Srinagar yesterday.
Officials from HRD Ministry, who are at the engineering institute since this morning, will stay there till examinations, starting from April 11, get over.
"We learned from public domain that some students are worried injustice will be done regarding their marksheets. Since morning, HRD officials are present on the campus. They talked to around 500 students, and offered to help students if they are worried about their marksheets...No students expressed apprehension regarding marksheets...One or two students said they wanted to go home and Ministry is preparing to help them return home.
"There are exams from April 11 and officials from my Ministry will stay there till exams get over," she added.
Responding to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's allegation that students are being targeted across India, she said he "keeps raising such issues to stay in news."
"As he is himself is a Chief Minister, he might be aware of the fact that law and order is a state matter and since I am a representative of central government, I will have to show trust in that state under cooperative federalism structure. If he (Kejriwal) really wants Bharat Maa's progress, then he should learn to unite people and not to divide them."
last Friday, the campus witnessed clashes between local and outstation students over India's defeat in the semi- final match in the World T20 tournament.
After the clashes, the NIT authorities shut down the institute which was reopened yesterday.
Unrest was witnessed again yesterday at the campus, with outstation students expressing a sense of insecurity and attempting to leave the campus, leading to a confrontation with police which resorted to lathicharge in which some were injured.
Several students were injured in the police action, prompting deployment of CRPF personnel at the campus to prevent the situation from deteriorating.
In a reply to a question on nationalism debate, Irani said "I do not define anybody's nationalism at personal level, but you also cannot question my nationalism. I do not define anyone's idea of India, but you can't question my idea of 'Janani Janmbhoomi' (mother and motherland)".
Asked about the events that took place at JNU and led to slapping of sedition charges against three students there, Irani said she has no ill feeling towards the New Delhi-based prestigious institute of higher learning.
"The central government has repeatedly said we have nothing against any institution, and we are not discriminating against any institution. Not just BJP workers, but everyone was hurt due to the fact that an institution, which should contribute to enhance the glory of Bharat Mata, became a place were 'anti-India' slogans were raised. Such an event is a matter of anger for many citizens."
Replying to another question, Irani said institutions receiving Central assistance are required to create an environment "where those who want to contribute to strengthen the country are empowered and those who want to divide the country are warned."
She said the BJP-led government will take along everybody without discrimination. "If I say Bharat is my mother, then a mother cannot leave behind any of her children in matter of education. It is the role of a mother to take all children together."