Five Kashmiri students at the Jammu Government Medical College were allegedly attacked and injured on Sunday night after a dispute over the film The Kerala Story took on communal overtones.

One of the five suffered head injuries after being attacked with “some crude weapon”, a Kashmiri student said, adding that “outsiders” were involved in the violence.

Principal Shashi Sudhan Sharma said five students with “minor injuries” had been admitted to the medical college hospital and that four of them were later discharged. She said one student was undergoing treatment and would be discharged soon.

Kashmiri students said they were assaulted after one of them objected to a WhatsApp post praising The Kerala Story in their “official group”.

The Kerala Story, which portrays a conspiracy to convert young Hindu women and recruit them to the Islamic State, has been lauded by Hindutva groups but accused by others of giving a distorted picture of the southern state.

“A student asked that such stuff not be posted in the group, which should be confined to academic purposes. But he (the student who had made the comments) brought some seniors along as we were on our way to the canteen for dinner,” a Kashmiri student said.

“Some seniors intervened and separated the two groups but after some time several outsiders stormed the campus and thrashed us,” he added. “One of them hit a senior with some crude weapon on his head. Later, we called the police.”

Jammu and Kashmir Students Association convener Nasir Khoehami said Muneeb, a final-year Kashmiri student from Bhaderwah, had received 10 stitches.

“Five Kashmiris were injured. There was a scuffle between two groups after which one group called outsiders for support. We have asked the administration to take strict action against them,” Khoehami told The Telegraph.

The students said protests were held in the college through the night and were continuing on Monday.

Some Hindu students blamed the other side for the violence and claimed they had chanted pro-Pakistan slogans. They offered no evidence.

“They attacked us with crude weapons. One of them was injured with his own weapon,” a Hindu student said.

Principal Sharma admitted that “outsiders” were involved in the attack and said they were graduates of the college.

“Their interference was recorded. An FIR has been lodged and action will be initiated,” she said.

“This is such a big institution. A strong message should go out that there will be zero tolerance for such things.”

Jammu senior superintendent of police Chandan Kohli said that some students and outsiders had got into a scuffle at a hostel. “An investigation is on,” he said.

Kashmiri students said they had been too afraid to enter their hostels since the violence on Sunday night and had been staying outside on the campus.

“We haven’t gone to our rooms since last evening,” a student said. “We are afraid after what happened to us yesterday. The college authorities and police should ensure that we feel safe inside the campus.”

People’s Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti urged lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha to take cognisance of the violence and ensure that the culprits are punished.

“Shocking that (the government) promotes and encourages violence through movies stoking communal fires,” she tweeted.

“The blood of innocents is being spilled to quench BJPs insatiable thirst for petty electoral dividends.”