Violence breaks out at BHU after SP student union leader arrested

Clashes broke out between police and protesters after students of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) staged a protest on Wednesday.

Slogans were raised after student union leader Ashutosh from the Samajwadi Party was arrested on charges of obstructing an IIT-BHU programme. During the clashes, a bus was torched.

Currently, the situation is tense, but has been brough under control, it has been reported.

In September this year, violence erupted after protesting students wanted to meet the V-C at his residence. University officials claimed that students started throwing stones that pushed the situation out of control. Students, however, denied the charge.

Students were protesting against the molestation of a hosteller. The district administration had to change the route of Modi's cavalcade due to the protests. The crackdown came within hours of the PM ending his two-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi.

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.