‘Leave or else’: Hate video forces Kashmiri students out of colleges in Uttarakhand
Dehradun: In response to a threatening video circulating on social media, in which a Hindu Raksha Dal leader warned Kashmiri Muslims to leave Uttarakhand by 10 a.m. or face consequences, Dehradun Police have stepped up security and removed 25 inflammatory posts online.
According to a report by The Indian Express, Lalit Sharma, a Hindu Raksha Dal leader, stated in the video that they are hurt by the incident which took place in Pahalgam. “If we see any Kashmiri Muslim in the state after 10:00 a.m. tomorrow, we will give them the right treatment. Tomorrow, all our workers will leave their homes to give this treatment to Kashmiri Muslims. We won’t wait for the government to take action,” he warned, reiterating that Kashmiri Muslims will face unimaginable action if they do not leave by 10:00 a.m.
The threat prompted immediate concern among Kashmiri students studying in Dehradun. A student at Doon PG College noted that at least five Kashmiri students had already abandoned their exams and left for the airport. “Fifteen students have an exam today and we have come to the college. They were getting threats from right-wing groups,” TIE report quoted him as saying.
Similarly, a second-year BSc student at BFIT Dehradun mentioned that he and his friends booked an evening flight on Thursday after receiving the ultimatum. He shared that their professors advised them to relocate to a safer area 50 km away. “They were thinking of sending us to Chandigarh but we decided to leave the campus at around 2:00 a.m. on Thursday and take a flight to Delhi. Our professor gave us his car and guard,” he said. The student added that they will stay in Kashmir till September as their summer break will begin soon.
Senior Superintendent of Police Ajai Singh assured that local law enforcement is in direct contact with college deans and wardens to guarantee the safety of Kashmiri students. “All are assured of security, and anyone breaking the law will face strict action,” Singh was quoted as saying by TIE.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said his government was in touch with governments of states where Kashmiris were allegedly being harassed in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
"The J&K government is in touch with the governments of the states where these reports are originating from. I'm also in touch with my counterpart Chief Ministers in these states and have requested they take extra care," Abdullah posted on X.
8th Incident: Second Open Threat Call.
— Nasir Khuehami (ناصر کہویہامی) (@NasirKhuehami) April 24, 2025
Hindutva outfit Hindu Raksha Dal has once again openly issued threats to identify and physically assault Kashmiri Muslim students in Uttarakhand starting today allegedly in retaliation for the tragic killing of tourists in Pahalgam. Members… pic.twitter.com/9x8V3yy7UD
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Interim Prez Delcy Rodríguez held backchannel talks with US ahead of Maduro’s removal: Reports
Washington/Caracas: Senior Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez and her brother Jorge Rodríguez quietly conveyed to the United States that they were willing to cooperate with Washington in the event of President Nicolás Maduro’s departure, according to a detailed report published by The Guardian, citing four sources familiar with the discussions.
The report says Delcy Rodríguez, who was sworn in as acting president on January 5 after Maduro was taken into US custody earlier this month, and her brother Jorge Rodríguez, the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, communicated assurances to US and Qatari officials through intermediaries ahead of the operation.
According to The Guardian, these communications began in the fall of last year, when Delcy Rodríguez was still serving as Maduro’s vice-president, and continued even after a crucial phone call between US President Donald Trump and Maduro in late November. During that call, Trump reportedly insisted that Maduro step down, a demand Maduro rejected.
By December, sources told the newspaper that Delcy Rodríguez had clearly indicated to US officials that she believed Maduro needed to leave and that she was prepared to work with Washington in the aftermath. One source quoted by The Guardian said Rodríguez conveyed that she was ready to engage with “whatever is the aftermath” once Maduro was gone.
The report states that US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, initially sceptical about engaging with figures from within the Venezuelan regime, eventually came to see Delcy Rodríguez’s assurances as the most viable path to maintaining stability after Maduro’s removal.
The Guardian notes that the pledge of cooperation by Delcy and Jorge Rodríguez before the US operation against Maduro has not been previously reported. It adds that earlier attempts at mediated talks through Qatar had surfaced in October, when the Miami Herald reported that Rodríguez had offered to lead a transitional government if Maduro stepped aside. Reuters later reported that Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello had also been in contact with US officials months before the operation.
According to all sources cited, the Rodríguez siblings drew a clear line in their understanding with the US. While they agreed to cooperate once Maduro was gone, they did not agree to actively assist in removing him. The sources emphasised that this was not a coup orchestrated by the Rodríguez family against Maduro.
Hours after Maduro was taken into custody, Trump appeared to confirm the existence of prior talks. He told the New York Post that Delcy Rodríguez was “onboard” and said the two sides had spoken “numerous times”.
After The Guardian story was published, the Venezuelan government dismissed the report as “fake” in a post on X, without providing further details. The White House did not respond to the newspaper’s questions.
The report also highlights that backchannel communications ran alongside official talks between Trump administration officials and Maduro’s government. Maduro himself met Trump aide Ric Grenell about 10 days after Trump’s inauguration to discuss US prisoners, who were later released.
Senior Trump aides reportedly continued regular discussions with Delcy and Jorge Rodríguez on practical matters, including coordinating deportation flights of Venezuelans from the US, handling detainees held in El Salvador, and the possible release of political prisoners.
The Guardian further notes Delcy Rodríguez’s close ties with Qatar, which played a facilitation role in some of the contacts. Sources told the newspaper that Qatar’s goodwill with the Trump administration helped open doors for discreet negotiations.
While Rodríguez publicly denied reports about transition talks last year, US officials reportedly began to reassess her role, seeing her as a pragmatic figure rather than a rigid ideologue. Sources cited her willingness to work with US oil companies and her familiarity with American energy executives as a key factor in this reassessment.
One source told The Guardian that the overriding US concern was avoiding chaos or civil conflict in Venezuela after Maduro’s removal. “The biggest thing was trying to avoid a failed state,” the source said.
According to the report, Delcy Rodríguez and her brother only began engaging in discussions without Maduro’s knowledge after it became clear, following the November phone call with Trump, that Maduro would not step down voluntarily. At the same time, sources said Rodríguez was careful not to openly betray him, out of fear for her own safety.
When US helicopters entered Caracas in early January, rumours circulated that Rodríguez had fled to Moscow. However, The Guardian reported, citing two sources, that she was instead on Margarita Island at the time.
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