Following an incident where foreign students were attacked for offering namaz on Gujarat University's premises, the university has asked seven foreign students to vacate the hostel for overstaying. Among them, six students from Afghanistan and one from East Africa have been instructed to vacate their hostel rooms, according to an official statement on Sunday.
The move comes after an Afghan and a Gambian delegation visited the university to discuss safety measures following the March 16 attack. During their meeting with the vice-chancellor, concerns were raised regarding the safety of foreign students.
According to Neerja Gupta, the university's vice-chancellor, the students were asked to vacate the hostel because they had completed their studies and were overstaying due to pending administrative work. The university has facilitated their return to their respective countries by completing the necessary paperwork and coordinating with their consulates.
Gupta emphasized that the university does not want to accommodate former students in its hostels and has informed the consulates of the respective countries about the students' departure.
Currently, Gujarat University has more than 300 international students enrolled. The incident on March 16 involved around two dozen people who assaulted foreign students for offering namaz during the month of Ramzan. As a result, two students from Sri Lanka and Tajikistan were hospitalized.
