In Uttarakhand’s capital city Dehradun, around 20 students fled to the airport on Wednesday following warnings from Hindu Raksha Dal, a fringe right-wing group.
The students said that the group threatened Kashmiri Muslim students with dire consequences if they did not leave town immediately.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he was in touch with state governments where students reported feeling unsafe, asking them to “take extra care”.
Kashmir’s former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti also appealed to India’s Interior Minister Amit Shah to “intervene in the wake of certain elements openly threatening” traders and students.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947, with both claiming the high-altitude territory in full but governing separate portions of it.
Rebel groups have waged an insurgency in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan.
Indian security forces have launched a vast manhunt in Kashmir for the attackers, with large numbers of people detained in the operation.
India accused Islamabad on Wednesday of supporting “cross-border terrorism” and downgraded ties with its neighbour with a raft of diplomatic measures.
Pakistan has denied any role in the Pahalgam attack.
