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NewsIndiaUttar PradeshHours after Modi's Varanasi visit, violent protests at BHU over harassment of student

Varanasi: Police hit out at BHU students protesting over alleged sexual harassment of female student, at least 3 injured in lathicharge

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to his constituency Varanasi, student protest at BHU over alleged sexual harassment of female student turned violent. The heavy police force deployed in the campus crushed the protest using force, say reports. Political leaders condemn police action.

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Police use force against students protesting against alleged sexual harassment of female student. Photo: Twitter/Shreya_R
Police use force against students protesting against alleged sexual harassment of female student. Photo: Twitter/Shreya_R
India Today Web Desk
India Today Web Desk
New Delhi,UPDATED: Sep 24, 2017 10:08 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Varanasi for a two-day visit that ended on Saturday.

Hours after he left his constituency, a large number of Banaras Hindu University students protested against the alleged sexual harassment of a female student. Students say that a third year female student was sexually harassed by two men on a motorcycle near Bharat Kala Bhawan when she was returning to her hostel in Triveni Complex on Thursday.

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A female student leading the protest told the Times of India that when the girl who faced harassment reported the incident to the proctorial board's security personnel they asked why she was out of the hostel after sunset, instead of helping her.

As the student protest that began Friday morning continued till late Saturday accusing the authorities of "shaming" the student who chose to report the incident of sexual harassment she faced.

PROTESTS ON FRIDAY

On learning the response of the security personnel to the incident, students from the women's hostel decided to protest. They held a 13-hour-long demonstration at BHU's Lanka Gate and the TOI report says that these students were joined by the hostel inmates of Mahila Mahavidyalaya and IIT-BHU.

The students demanded 24 X 7 security, making security personnel accountable for lapses, better lighting on roads leading to women's hostels, CCTV surveillance, inclusion of women security personnel and formation of a gender sensitisation committee.

Student wings of all political parties joined hands for the protest and demanded that the Vice-Chancellor meet them at the protest venue and engage in a dialogue in front of the media and with live-streaming on social media but that never happened.

All this while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was attending various events in different parts of the city.

BHU spokesperson Rajesh Kumar Singh said that the protest was politically motivated to hinder PM Modi's visit and that the girl who complained of sexual harassment had met the VC on Thursday.

PROTESTS ON SATURDAY

Things turned ugly when heavy police force was deployed in the BHU campus along with a CPMF contingent. The forces that camped in the campus was led by SP (city) Dinesh Singh, who said the CPMF personnel were camped there in view of PM Modi's visit.

A large number of girl students came out of the hostel as the CPMF personnel left the campus. Male students joined the protesting students on Friday and blocked the gate Vice-Chancellor's lodge. Police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the students.

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Students from the boys' hostel allegedly pelted stones at the police and even used petrol bombs on Saturday evening.

Twitter is abuzz with images and videos from the Banaras Hindu University. Take a look here -

Politicians and activists are also condemning the police action on the female students saying the use of force was uncalled for since the protest was peaceful and more importantly, against sexual harassment.

The varsity is to remain shut till October 2 say reports.

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