BHU Protests: 3 Congress leaders detained, Commissioner says situation normal

Congress leaders P.L. Punia, Raj Babbar and Ajay Rai were detained by police on Sunday, ahead of their participation in the students' protest march at Varanasi's Banaras Hindu University.

Meanwhile, Varansi Commissioner Nitin Ramesh Gokarn informed ANI that there has been normalcy at present after last night's agitation.

Refuting assumptions of university being closed due to protests, Gokarn clarified that university has been closed till October 2 on account of Dussehra festival. Kashi Vidyapeeth and other affiliated colleges have also been closed on the same account.

The protest erupted into violence only hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi left the city after his two-day visit to Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi.

Gokarn also refuted likelihood of any links between PM Modi's visit and the violence.

"There are chances that outsiders might have come and used the matter within the university (to create violence)," Gokarn said and added that it is a matter of investigation.

On Saturday, the Uttar Pradesh Police 'lathicharged' the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) students, who had been protesting for three days against alleged molestation of a varsity girl.

The protesting students reportedly tried to enter the residence of University Vice Chancellor and when the deployed security forces tried to stop them, students became violent and attacked the police after which the security forces also used force and lathi charge on the students to disperse them.

The students alleged that the police thrashed them and dragged them through hair, but DM Varanasi, who was present on the spot, denied all such claims.

The students were protesting against the administration's lack of action in a case of harassment.

A first-year student of BHU alleged that she was harassed by three bike-borne men inside the campus on Thursday evening, but the security guard present on spot did not take any action.

The girl said that the hostel warden in turn blamed her for the incident instead of taking up the matter to the administration.