A Sikkim University student from Uttar Pradesh was arrested for derogatory remarks on WhatsApp, calling Nepali a foreign language.
The comment sparked outrage among local students, leading to a police complaint and campus tensions.
Though the student later apologised, the Students’ Association condemned the remarks as divisive, stressing Nepali’s constitutional recognition.
A first-semester Master of Commerce student at Sikkim University was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly making insulting remarks against the Nepali language, which is widely spoken across the Himalayan state, officials said.
Aaccording to PTI, the accused, Raj Shekhar Yadav, a resident of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, had reportedly written in a WhatsApp post on August 15 that Nepali is a foreign language and that those speaking it should go to Nepal.
Acting on a complaint filed by local students, a team from Rani Pool police station reached the university campus and took Yadav into custody for questioning. He was later placed under arrest.
In a video message circulated after the incident, Yadav apologised for his remarks and appealed for forgiveness. However, the issue sparked anger among students on campus.
The Sikkim University Students Association (SUSA), as cited in PTI, through its president Anup Regmi, formally reported the matter to both the university authorities and the police. In a press release, the students’ body condemned Yadav’s remarks as "divisive and harmful to peace and harmony within the university."
It also emphasised that Nepali is not only the lingua franca of Sikkim but also recognised under the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Officials confirmed that further investigation into the matter is underway.
