Senior BHU official quits; Congress demands apology from PM Narendra Modi

Varanasi: Taking moral responsibility for the incident of alleged molestation of a female student and violence at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Chief Proctor ON Singh submitted his resignation to Vice-Chancellor Dr Girish Chandra Tripathi on Tuesday. 

His resignation was accepted by the university authorities and a new chief proctor will be appointed soon, news agency ANI said. As per a report, professor MK Singh of BHU Medical College has been given the additional charge as the chief proctor. 

In an another development, the main opposition party, Congress has demanded that the Prime Minister should tender an apology to those who were mercilessly thrashed by the cops at the varsity campus.

"The Prime Minister should first apologise to the girls in BHU, because despite being there, he did not care to ask why the girls were protesting," Congress leader Mohan Prakash said amid a political storm over the alleged police crackdown on girl students at the varsity campus.

"Our daughters kept sitting there for two days and asking the authorities to do something about the eve teasing," Prakash said.

Meanwhile, several inquiries have been set up by the government, administration and the varsity vice-chancellor into the campus violence. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also sought a report from Divisional Commissioner about the lathi-charge by the police on BHU students, including women.

The university authorities have, however, blamed the 'outsiders' for the violence inside the campus. 

Dozens of students were detained in connection with the violence that erupted on the varsity campus on September 24 (Sunday) after the police used force to evict them. A FIR against 1,000 students has also been filed at the Lanka Police Station for arson and other charges, Varanasi SSP said.

Violence inside the campus erupted after some students, protesting against the alleged eve-teasing incident on September 21, went to meet the Vice Chancellor at his residence. The protesting students were demanding action against those involved in the alleged eve-teasing of a woman student of Arts, while she was returning to her hostel.

Three bike-borne men had abused her and fled when she resisted their attempts, according to the complainant.

The woman alleged that varsity security guards, about 100 metres from where the incident happened, did nothing to stop the men. 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 student's colleagues, who sat on a 'dharna' at the main gate midnight Thursday. One of the students even got her head tonsured.

BHU students alleged they have to face eve-teasers on the campus regularly and the varsity administration was not taking any action to stop the miscreants. Police and BHU professors tried to pacify the students on September 24 but they refused to end their protest and sought assurance from the university vice-chancellor.

A day later, on September 25, the varsity issued a statement saying the 'dharna' by the students just a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit was 'politically motivated' to malign the image of the university.

The university also said that security guards were regularly patrolling the campus and assistance from the police is sought from time-to-time to maintain peace in the campus.

On the other hand, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has strongly condemned the lathi-charge of the students in BHU.

(With Agency inputs)