NIT Silchar issues caution to students after anti-India social media post by foreign alumnus
NIT Silchar | File image
Prof. D.K. Baidya, the director of NIT Silchar, called on the students to maintain the academic decorum of the institution and not to disturb the peace and harmony on campus.
The director’s appeal follows an alleged anti-India post by a former student of the institute on social media. “I am aware of the post made by a former student who is no longer with us. I have been informed that he has left the country,” Prof. Baidya stated on Sunday evening.
“Foreign students come to our institute for academic pursuits as per the government's policy, and it is our duty is to maintain peace, law, and order. We are reaching out to our students with appeals to abstain from making any offensive or derogatory statements,” he said.
Cachar Superintendent of Police (SP) Numal Mahatta informed the press on Sunday that the matter was brought to his attention by the police's cyber monitoring cell. He then visited the institute around midnight on Saturday to investigate the situation.
"When I reached the institute, I learned that the student who made the post is an alumnus of the institute and now resides in Bangladesh. I have requested the institute’s officials to take up the matter with the appropriate authorities to ensure immediate action against the student for making objectionable comments against India," SP Mahatta said.
Reportedly, the student, who goes by the name Saddat Hossain Alphi on social media, posted a morphed image of the NIT entrance gate with the phrase "Dogs and Indians are not allowed" written on the road in white.
There are over 70 students from neighbouring countries currently studying various disciplines at NIT Silchar. SP Mahatta informed that strict vigilance is being maintained on campus, and efforts are underway to ensure the incident does not escalate.
Meanwhile, the student in question has posted a response on his social media page, which has since been set to "private mode" following the controversy.
In his bio, he has claimed that his profile had been hacked and that the earlier post was not made by him. "I have no hate for India, but my ID was hacked. The previous share was not done by me. Sorry for that," Alphi’s bio reads.
