A few hours before the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to his parliamentary constituency Varanasi, girl students of the Benares Hindu University (BHU) held a massive protest against an incident of eve-teasing blocking PM's route.
To vent her grouse against molestation of few girls within BHU campus on Thursday evening, a girl student Akansha Singh of the Arts Faculty tonsured her head and sat on a dharna along with other girls at the BHU main gate since morning.
Akansha alleged that three boys molested a girl of BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) near Kala Bhawan within BHU campus on Thursday night. The victim cried for help and but guards posted just 20 metres away refused to come to her rescue.
The victim lodged a complaint with the Warden of her hostel and Chief Proctor also but they refused to intitiate any action in view of the Prime Minister two-day visit to Varanasi.
“You all keep quite till the Prime Minister’s visit was over,” was the terse reply of the Chief Proctor. “Girl Students in BHU face molestation and physical assault but instead of taking action against erring male students we are being asked to shut our mouth up,” rued Akansha, who tonsured her head in protest against the incident.
Significantly, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s convoy has to go through the BHU main gate where the girl students are staging dharna. A meeting between protesting students, district administration and proctorial board has failed. “We refuse to lift dharna till molesters are arrested and booked,” said Rashmi, another BFA student.
BFA students alleged that male students come to their hostels,make obscene gestures and comments. When we protest and complain, they threaten to rape us, alleged students.
“We had lodged several complaints in this regard in the past but instead of taking action we are advised not to leave hostels after 6 pm. What kind of freedom do we have in BHU?", questioned Pallavi, another BFA student.
Meanwhile, the Chief Proctor ON Singh held talks with protesting BFA students and assured them of taking action against molesters.
