Shiv Sena corners PM Modi over BHU violence

The Shiv Sena on Tuesday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the ongoing tensions in Varanasi's Banaras Hindu University (BHU).

"The daughters of your own election constituency who made you reach to the destination are suffering. Is it their destiny? They just demanded for CCTV cameras in the campus and to arrest the accused immediately. Leave 'Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao' slogan, at least don't allow 'Beti Pitvao'," Shiv Sena said in an editorial of its mouthpiece, Saamna.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) office in Varanasi on Monday confirmed that an FIR was registered against 1000 BHU students in Lanka police station for arson and other charges.

Yesterday, a Station House Officer (SHO) of Lanka area, Circle Officer (CO) of Bhelupur and one Additional City Magistrate (ACM) were removed after they were held prima facie responsible for imposing lathi-charge on the BHU students.

On September 24, Congress leaders P.L. Punia, Raj Babbar and Ajay Rai were detained by the police, ahead of their participation in the students' protest march at BHU.

Meanwhile, Varanasi Commissioner Nitin Ramesh Gokarn had informed ANI that the normalcy was restored after the agitation.

Gokarn also refuted the claims that the university was closed till October 2 due to protests, terming Dussehra festival as the main reason. Kashi Vidyapeeth and other affiliated colleges were also closed on the same account.

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday lathi-charged the BHU students, who were protesting since three days against alleged molestation of a University girl.

It was reported that the protesting students tried to enter the residence of the Vice Chancellor and when the deployed security forces tried to stop them, students became violent; it is then when the security forces used lathi-charged to disperse them.

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

The ongoing protests outside the BHU campus triggered when a first-year female student of BHU alleged that she was molested by three bike-borne men outside the campus on Thursday.

The victim in the matter had claimed that she went to the university administration for complaining about the incident but the administration in lieu of taking any action against the molesters, shamed the victim for her awkward hostel timings.

Angered over the laid back attitude of the administration and lack of action from the side, the students staged protests outside the campus on Friday and blocked entry to the campus through the main gate.