Sikkim University student arrested for ‘insulting’ Nepali language

Gangtok: A Sikkim University student, who hailed from Uttar Pradesh, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly making insulting remarks against the Nepali language which is widely spoken in the Himalayan state, officials said.

Acting on a complaint lodged by some local students, a team from Rani Pool police station reached the university campus and took Raj Shekhar Yadav into custody for questioning, officials said.

Yadav, a resident of Varanasi, was later arrested.

The accused, a first-semester student of Master of Commerce, allegedly said in a WhatsApp post on August 15 that Nepali is a foreign language and those speaking it should go to Nepal.

Yadav, however, apologised in a video message and sought forgiveness from all for his comment.

The Sikkim University Students Association through its president Anup Regmi later reported the incident to the varsity authorities and the police.

The students’ body also issued a press release condemning Yadav’s remarks as “divisive and harmful to peace and harmony within the university.” It said that Nepali is widely spoken in Sikkim and is listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

Sikkim University officials are yet to respond to the development.