In a significant development, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expelled three of its members following their arrest by Varanasi Police in connection with the molestation of an IIT-BHU student. The party's district chief, Hansraj Vishwakarma, confirmed the expulsion on Sunday but did not disclose the roles or designations of the arrested individuals within the party.
The decision to expel the accused from the BJP came swiftly after the Opposition accused them of having ties with the ruling party. Vishwakarma stated, "Definitely their (accused) names have appeared in the police probe, so they will be expelled from the party after an investigation." When questioned about the party distancing itself from the accused, he emphasized, "It is not about distancing from the accused. They will be expelled from the party," clarifying that further actions would be taken according to the party leadership's directives.
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The expelled individuals—identified as Kunal Pandey, Anand alias Abhishek Chauhan, and Saksham Patel—were arrested by Varanasi Police on Sunday and subsequently presented before a local court, which remanded them to 14 days of judicial custody.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav seized the opportunity to criticize the BJP, alleging that the accused enjoyed the party's protection. In a social media post, Yadav accused the BJP of granting immunity to the individuals involved and questioned whether leaders who compromise the dignity of women would continue to receive support.
The backdrop of this incident dates back to November 2 when a female student at IIT-Banaras Hindu University was allegedly molested by bike-borne men on campus, who also recorded the assault. The incident sparked outrage, leading to protests by the IIT-BHU student body demanding justice and improved campus security.
