BHU Vice Chancellor Girish Chandra Tripathi has been summoned to Delhi by the HRD ministry and has left for the capital this morning after violence on the university campus led to FIRs against 1000 unnamed students.
The Times of India reports that while protestors and members of political parties near the campus premises say he has been summoned to Delhi, a university spokesperson said that a quarterly meeting of the Banaras Hindu University Executive council was underway and that Tripathi had gone to attend it.
Tripathi had been in the news this morning after interviews to dailies and TV channels where he was quoted saying that the issue was created by outsiders and that if they listened to every girl, they would not be able to run the university.
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He was quoted saying that he ‘feels’ that the episode was created because Prime Minister Narendra Modi was due to visit the campus.
“The molestation was done to trigger this fiasco is what I feel,” reportedly said.
The VC also reportedly said that there was no gender discrimination on campus and that there were rules in place for safety of the girl students. That said, he is later quoted saying: “If we are going to listen to every demand of every girl we won’t be able to run the university.”
Yesterday, three additional city magistrates of Varanasi and two police officers were removed in connection with the lathicharge on students in the Banaras Hindu University and a high-level probe was ordered into the incident that spiralled into a major controversy.
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As opposition parties targeted the BJP over the police action on the campus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah spoke to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and asked him to address the issue at the earliest.
An FIR has been filed against unidentified policemen in connection with the lathicharge on Saturday night in which a number of students, including women, were injured, police officials said. At least two journalists were also injured in the police action.
A case has also been registered against over 1,000 students in connection with the violence in the university, they said.
The police action took place on Saturday night after students, agitating against an alleged eve-teasing incident, wanted to meet the Vice Chancellor at his residence.
The police action against the students on the university campus has been criticised by various parties, including the Congress and the Samwajwadi Party.
Samajwadi Party workers held a sit-in in Varanasi and slogans were raised against the prime minister.
Over 200 Samajwadi Party activists were detained while they were going to meet the injured students as well as protestesting students
Social activist Teesta Setalvad also arrived in the city to attend a programme but was detained by the police.
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In the aftermath of the violence, the district administration has declared holidays from today till October 2 in all colleges and universities in Varanasi. The BHU had earlier announced that the holidays would start from September 28.
The alleged eve-teasing incident had occurred on last Thursday night after which the students started a protest near the university's main gate.
A woman student of the Arts Faculty was allegedly harassed by three motorcycle-borne men inside the campus while she was returning to her hostel.
According to the complainant, the men abused her and fled when she resisted their attempts.
The woman alleged that security guards, about 100 metres from where the incident happened, did nothing to stop them.
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She said her warden, instead of taking up the issue with her superiors, asked her why was she was returning late to the hostel.
The warden's response angered the students who sat on a 'dharna' at the main gate midnight Thursday.
BHU students have alleged they have to face eve-teasers on the campus regularly and the varsity administration was not taking any action to stop the miscreants.
With Agency Inputs
