BHU violence: 'Daughters of your own constituency are suffering' - Shiv Sena slams PM Modi

BJP ally in Maharashtra Shiv Sena has slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over the recent police crackdown on girl students in Varanasi’s reputed Banaras Hindu University (BHU).

Mumbai: Shiv Sena, the BJP ally in Maharashtra, has slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over the recent police crackdown on girl students at Varanasi’s reputed Banaras Hindu University (BHU).

“The daughters of your own election constituency who made you reach to the destination are suffering. Is it their destiny? They just demanded CCTV cameras in the campus and to arrest the accused immediately. Leave ‘Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao’ slogan, at least don't allow ‘Beti Pitvao’,” the Shiv Sena said in a fierce editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

 “Daughters of the country are being lathi-charged and you are quiet. Until when will you be quiet?” the Sena editorial asked.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also took a jibe at the Prime Minister who had recently launched ‘Saubhagya’ - a Rs 16,000-crore scheme to provide electricity to over four crore households that are without power connection by December 2018.

The acerbic remarks from Shiv Sena came hours after a preliminary report by the Varanasi Commission, submitted to the state's Chief Secretary, blamed the BHU administration for failing to handle the situation at the university.

The report was contrary to the tall claims made by the BHU Girish Chandra Tripathi that ''outsiders with vested interests'' were responsible for the violence at the varsity.

A number of students, including women, and two journalists were injured in a lathi-charge by police in the BHU where a protest earlier this week against an alleged eve-teasing incident turned violent. 

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Varanasi, had earlier confirmed that an FIR was registered against 1,000 BHU students at the Lanka Police Station for arson and other charges. 

The Station House Officer (SHO) of Lanka area, Circle Officer (CO) of Bhelupur and one Additional City Magistrate (ACM) were removed by the state government after they were held prima facie responsible for the lathi-charge on the BHU students.

The Uttar Pradesh Police had resorted to lathi-charge on the BHU students, who were protesting against alleged molestation of a University girl. It was reported that the protesting students tried to enter the residence of the Vice Chancellor and when the deployed security forces tried to stop them, students became violent.

The girl students alleged that they were thrashed by policemen and dragged by the hair, but DM Varanasi, who was present on the spot, denied all such claims.