BHU campus tense after police crackdown on students protesting against molestation

Several Banaras Hindu University (BHU) students, many of them girls, were injured on Saturday night when the police allegedly used force to remove protesters from outside V-C’s residence and one of the campus gates, sources said.

The students were protesting since three days against alleged molestation of a university girl and the failure of the administration to act against the attackers.

The clash forced the university to bring forward its Dussehra break by three days to September 25 as situation remained tense on the campus, where vehicles were torched and stones thrown at the police.

A burnt vehicle lies on the road after a clash between security forces and students of the BHU. (HT Photo)

“A lot of students have arrived at the BHU’s trauma centre and the situation is tense but there are no major injuries,” a hospital official told HT on condition of anonymity. Six policemen were also injured, eyewitnesses said.

The students alleged that the police thrashed them and pulled them through hair but the Varanasi district magistrate, who was present on the spot, denied the claims.

The crackdown came after the students intensified the protest and within few hours of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ending his two-day visit to Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency.

Anti-social elements along with girls who were not university students gathered outside vice chancellor’s lodge in the night, BHU public relations officer Rajesh Singh said.

The protesters were told to leave as they didn’t have the permission for the sit-in but they refused and started abusing the V-C, Singh said.

“I have no idea how those sitting on dharna sustained injuries. Some anti-social elements tried to break gate of Mahila Mahavidyalaya on premises,” he said.

The protests began on Thursday after a resident of a women’s hostel was allegedly molested by men on motorcycles.

The student lodged a complaint with the office of the proctor, which is responsible for campus security. The chief proctor refused to take action and some officials allegedly tried to blame the student, wondering why she was out late in the evening, sources said.

Angry students launched a protest, demanding action against the men who attacked the girl.

At around midnight on Saturday, police cane-charged students sitting outside the V-C’s residence, eyewitnesses said.

Driven away, the students spilt into small groups shouting slogans.

“Stones were also thrown by both sides and several vehicles were set alight,” Amrit Dasgupta, who lives close to the BHU main gate in the Lanka area of Varanasi, told HT over phone.

He saw police vehicles, including buses, and riot-control vans enter the campus.

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav criticised police action. The government should find a solution through talks and not force, he tweeted on Sunday.

बल से नहीं बातचीत से हल निकाले सरकार।बीएचयू में छात्रों पर लाठीचार्ज निंदनीय।दोषियों पर हो करवाई।

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) September 24, 2017

LATHI CHARGE IN #BHU IN EXCHANGE OF PEACEFUL PROTEST. #UnSafeBHU #अबकी_बार_बेटी_पर_वारpic.twitter.com/yVifEAyU2l

— Aditya_Kumar 🇮🇳 (@AK49Aditya) September 23, 2017

Barbaric lathi charge on protesting girl students of BHU by police and the proctorial gang, many girls injured.
Beti Bachao sarkar!

— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) September 23, 2017

BHU women students lathi charged for protesting sexual harassment, demanding GSCASH! Wah re Beti Bachao!

— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) September 23, 2017