UP govt draws widespread criticism over BHU violence

Adityanath's Uttar Pradesh government was desperately trying to control the damage done over its police caning women students of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU). The student fraternity in several districts as well as Opposition parties are angry at the action. 

BHU remained tense after the arrest of 14 students on allegations of involvement in violence over the weekend. The district administration ordered all colleges to remain shut. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party government drew ridicule from Opposition leaders and on social media for baton-charging girls despite talking of 'Beti Bachao' (Save the Girls) and for used violence against the students during Navratri. 

Former Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav said girls were not safe on the BHU campus and their protest was being met with violence. A delegation of Samajwadi Party workers reached the university on Monday, heightening tension. 

Confirming that a girl hosteller was indeed inappropriately touched on BHU campus, a senior official of the district said Monday “timely action was not taken”, which led to the situation going out of control. 

Asked if there was any provocation from girls for the police to resort to a brutal baton charge, the official said that it was a matter of inquiry. 

A two-hour open hearing in the clashes by Divisional Commissioner Nitin Ramesh Gokarn and Additional Director-General of Police (Varanasi zone) Vishwajeet Mohapatra started Monday morning to collect evidence related to the violence.  

BHU Vice-Chancellor (VC) GC Tripathi has blamed outsiders for the violence. 

The senior district official indirectly blamed university authorities for their insensitive response to the sexual harassment victim’s request for help: Instead of helping her, some security personnel present near the spot scolded her for being outdoors “after sunset”.  

The girl was returning to her hostel at Triveni Complex at 7 pm Thursday when two men on a motorcycle stopped and sexually harassed her. 

On reaching her hostel she narrated her ordeal to other hostellers who staged a dharna on Friday, demanding, among other things, round-the-clock security on the campus, close-circuit television cameras and women security personnel.  

They were joined by girls from other colleges, forcing the administration to change the route for the cavalcade of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a visit to his parliamentary constituency. 

The protestors demanded the VC talk to them at the dharna site, but he was not available – being busy attending Modi's programmes. 

This prompted UP Congress President Raj Babbar to ask whether being a central university VC, Tripathi was the PM's “servant” and was required to report to him? 

“The President of India is the chancellor of BHU, not the PM. He should have listened to the grievances of the students instead of behaving like a worker of the BJP,” Babbar said. He was detained while on his way to meet the students on Sunday. 

In the absence of Tripathi, no other university official deigned to meet the protesters either until late Friday evening. The students continued their protest through the night.

By the time they could initiate a dialogue with the protesters, a posse of Central Para-military Force (CPMF) reached the spot, creating panic and prompting more students, including boys, to come out in support of the protesters. 

On Saturday they marched to allegedly block the gate of the VC’s lodge. The police rained lathis on them and did not spare girls. The violence continued until 3 am Sunday. 

The VC later said among the large number of protesters only 150-200 were students. 

Cases have been registered against 1,200 unknown persons. A case under the Information Technology Act has also been registered against Facebook page BHU Buzz for “provocative posts”. 

Large-scale violence forced the administration to transfer a police station officer of Lanka; the circle officer of Bhelupur has been transferred, along with a magistrate for resorting to lathi charge. 

As a conciliatory measure, the district magistrate “advised” the BHU to install CCTV cameras on campus and appoint women security personnel.  

The administration has decided to advance the varsity's Durga Puja vacation to Monday from 28 September.

The Varanasi Police forcibly removed Samajwadi Party worker who had gathered near the university and wanted to meet the students.

The police were learnt to have arrested social activist Teesta Setalvad although she had informed them one month in advance about her scheduled presence at the youth workshop of Samajwadi Janparishad. Before being formally arrested she was kept in detention for about four hours.

Official confirmation was not immediately available as the police and district administration was busy with peace committee meetings in view of Moharram and Durga Puja.

Meanwhile Varanasi's senior superintendent of police RK Bharadwaj shot off a letter to the BHU asking its officials to put an immediate stop to its security persons illegally donning the uniforms of UP civil police.

These private security personnel deployed with the proctorial board misbehave with students and general public and create a bad image of the police, the letter said. It cited the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act 2005 to say that private security personnel were barred from wearing uniforms similar to that of army, navy, air force and police and gave the university 48 hours ending 5 pm on September 26 to change the colour of uniform and badges of its private force.   

Edited by Joyjeet Das