By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
Female students protesting at the main gate of the Banaras Hindu University were met with violent police action including lathi-charge, use of tear gas and even rubber bullets.
On Saturday evening, BHU’s VC GC Tripathi promised the students that he would meet them inside the Mahila Mahavidyalaya, but he did not come. Then again the word came from VC’s house that he would meet the girl inside MMV, but again he failed to keep his promise.
When the students realised that this was just a ploy to move them back to the Mahila Mahavidyala, they returned to the main gate to resume their protests.
Some female students went up to the VC’s house inside the campus and started protesting there also. Around 10.45 pm, BHU’s proctorial board started lathi-charging the protesting students at the VC’s house.
Soon after the VC’s house was freed from the protestors, students were pushed to the hostels with the use of force. In retaliation, students started pelting stones to the forces. Around the same, the district police also charged towards the students who were sitting on the main gate. They were then pushed to their hostels.
When girls entered their Mahila Mahavidyalaya hostel, police chased the girls again and ended up beating several of them. The whole incident has left at least 50 students injured, several of them in a critical state. What makes the police action even more objectionable is that during this entire episode, there was not a single policewoman present at the site.
In an attempt to calm the situation, the University administration has announced a leave starting from Monday until October 2, 2017.
While this report was being filed, the female students have again come up to the University gate and are vociferously protesting against the excessive use of police force.
Several police officials have also been injured in the clash with the students but none of them are under serious situation. With the help of Section-144, a curfew like lock-down situation is imposed in the campus. Girls’ hostels are locked from outside by the CRPF and police personnel. Police is beating those who get spotted outside the hostels.
[Photographs from the girl students of the university]