Suspended Students Union of BHU demand fresh elections

At an event attended by the Education Minister Smriti Irani, the Students Union of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), All India Students Association (AISA), protested their suspension and demanded fresh elections for the body.

Irani was the chief guest at Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, organised in the memory of the founder of BHU, the great Indian educationist and politician Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, and to discuss practices in contemporary journalism. Malviya is also the founder of BHU.

As soon as Irani stepped out of the event, AISA members blocked way of Irani's car, trying to stop it and shouted slogans.

A member of AISA Priya Rao, said that the students wanted to submit their demand through a written plea but they were denied entry to the venue where the event was taking place.

"Today we had planned to submit a written plea here where this programme of Smriti Irani was going on. But we were not allowed to go inside. We are the students of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and we wanted to submit this plea as students in BHU have not been given a platform to put forward their ideas, problems and other matters pertaining to the University. So we were demanding that elections for the students' body be announced immediately," said Rao.

A scuffle broke out between a girl, a member of AISA, and police personnel. Seeing things take a turn for the worse, Irani stepped out of the car and assured the students of prompt action.