Many female students, along with journalists, were wounded at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) late on Saturday night when the police resorted to lathicharge during protests against a case of molestation on the campus. The police action prompted Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to order an inquiry on Sunday, and sparked political criticism, even as protests spread to other universities.
Adityanath has sought a detailed report on the molestation, the protests and the police action from Varanasi Commissioner Nitin Gokran. The report has to be submitted within three days.
The university has broken early for Dussehra as Vice-Chancellor (V-C) GC Tripathi ordered its closure till October 2. Students, however, said protests will resume from October 3. The V-C has also set up a high-powered probe committee.
However, he has blamed "outsiders" for the violence. "Outsiders were behind the violence to vitiate the atmosphere on the campus. We have identified a few," he said.
The police detained UP Congress president Raj Babbar and other party colleagues trying to reach BHU on Friday. Outrage mounted as a cellphone video has emerged showing two policemen charging towards female students and beating one of them in the late-night crackdown.
The CM was in Varanasi on Friday and Saturday when students were protesting against the molestation reported on Thursday. He has asked District Magistrate Yogeshwar Ram Mishra to visit about six journalists, including camerapersons, injured in the lathicharge and the subsequent chaos, and ensure proper treatment for them. A delegation of the Uttar Pradesh Accredited Journalists' Association also reached Varanasi to meet their injured colleagues and lodge a protest with the CM.
The district administration had to change the route of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's convoy due to the protests. The crackdown came within hours of PM Modi ending his two-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi.
Violence erupted after protesting students wanted to meet the V-C at his residence on Saturday night, according to police and university sources. University officials claimed that students started throwing stones that pushed the situation out of control. Students, however, denied the charge.
A professor said, on the condition of anonymity, that a few student leaders from JNU and Hyderbabad University had visited BHU about ten days ago, and held closed-door meetings with their BHU counterparts. The professor condemned the molestation, but said the agitation by female students was high-jacked by "vested interests".
"It was all pre-planned. The protest began just before the PM's visit, and turned violent the day he left. Slogans like 'Unsafe BHU', 'Freedom for Female Students' were coined well in advance to hog national and international headlines and tarnish BHU's image," said the professor.
Samajwadi Party president and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav condemned the police lathicharge. "The government should initiate action against eve-teasers, and resolve the issue not by use of force but through talks," he tweeted. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said the police action was the "BJP version of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao".
Some other campuses are also coming in support of BHU students. A protest was held at Aligarh Muslim University on Sunday, and another one is planned by students of JNU in Delhi on Monday.
BHU is a central university under the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD), and is listed as an institute of national importance. There was no immediate reaction from the ministry. BHU was the venue where HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar held his first meeting with all VCs of Central Universities after assuming charge last year.
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 "Banaras Hindu University")
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