According to reports, the gathering was observing the Hindu festival after taking permission from authorities.

A number of videos [viral on social media] showed that the Hindu community students were being thrashed for holding Holi on the campus, Dawn News reported.

Some other videos also showed that the security guards were carrying batons and beating the students and they were running from the scene, the newspaper reported.

Sindh Council general secretary Kashif Brohi told Dawn that the members of the Hindu community and the council had organised a Holi celebration after getting permission from the university administration.

He said the IJT activists started hurling threats after students had posted invitation [Holi celebration] on their Facebook page.

He said on Monday morning the members of the Sindh Council and Hindu community gathered outside PU law College to celebrate the Holi when the IJT activists carrying guns and batons attacked them.

Mr Brohi said 15 students from Hindu community and Sindh Council suffered injuries during clashes and moved away without celebrating the event.

He said the students later gathered to protest outside the vice chancellor office when the security guards came there holding batons and started beating them.

He said the security guards also bundled four to five students into their vans and did not allow them to record their peaceful protest.

He said an application was submitted to the administration and police for registration of case against the IJT activists and security guards for torturing them.

IJT spokesperson Ibrahim Shahid told Dawn that they did not stop the Hindu community members from celebrating Holi.