PM Modi, Amit Shah speak to UP CM Yogi Adityanath over BHU violence

Students and police in a standoff in Varanasi late Saturday night. Female students at the prestigious University were protesting against the administration’s alleged victim-shaming after one of them reported an incident of molestation on Thursday. (Source: PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah have spoken to UP Chief Minister Yogi Aditynanath following a police lathi-charge on BHU students and asked him to redress the issue at the earliest. “The BHU incident is unfortunate. Any amount of sadness expressed over it is not adequate,” Union minister Nitin Gadkari told reporters.

He said that Modi and Shah have spoken to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister and asked him to redress the issue as soon as possible. The violence erupted after some students, protesting against an incident of sexual harassment, wanted to meet the varsity’s vice chancellor (VC) at his residence.

Security guards of the university stopped the students and informed the police, according to university sources. A Banaras Hindu University (BHU) spokesperson had said that some students wanted to “forcibly” enter the VC’s residence but they were stopped by the BHU security guards.

A number of students, including women, and two journalists were injured in the lathi-charge. The government has removed some officers as the incident attracted widespread criticism.