Hours after violence erupted on the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) campus in Varanasi, political parties in the Capital expressed “displeasure” and “disgust” over the incident and alleged inaction by the BJP.
The AAP condemned the violence against the students, including women, saying it was unpardonable and shameful. A statement issued by the party read, “We [the AAP] strongly condemn the midnight barbaric police repression unleashed on female students of BHU in the Prime Minister’s constituency by the BJP-led State government of Uttar Pradesh.”
The statement also added that the BJP government-appointed Vice-Chancellor of the university had “shamed his post by allowing the police to enter the campus to crush a peaceful protest by women, who were only demanding security from eve-teasers”.
Soon after videos and images of the violence emerged on websites and social media, senior party leader Atishi Marlena took to Twitter to express her disapproval. “Girls protesting against molestation of a fellow student are lathi-charged in BHU. Absolutely shocking!! [sic],” she tweeted. In another tweet, she said, “Lathi-charge of girls happened in a Central Univ, in the PM’s Constituency. Is this the ‘beti bachao, beti padhao’ that PM talks of? [sic]”
Criticising the BJP government, Swaraj India said it was only professing ‘beti bachao’ as a slogan but was anti-women in reality.
The youth group of the party, Youth for Swaraj, said, “...The truth is that this [the BJP] government is anti-women and cannot tolerate women raising their voice against atrocities.”