India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah on Monday spoke to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aadityanath regarding the police lathi-charge incident in Varanasi's Banaras Hindu University (BHU).
Updated : Sep 25, 2017, 03:39 PM IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah on Monday spoke to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aadityanath regarding the police lathi-charge incident in Varanasi's Banaras Hindu University (BHU).
A number of students, including women, and two journalists were injured in a lathi-charge by the police in the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) where a protest on Saturday night against an alleged eve- teasing incident turned violent.
According to reports protest turned violent as one of the protesters tried to set campus property on fire. However, speaking to dnaindia.com, one of the students said that the police used force to vacate protestors from outside Vice Chancellors's residence.
Students also alleged that woman cops were not present when the incident took place. In a video that has emerged, cops can be seen repeatedly hitting woman students with lathi.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) office in Varanasi confirmed that a FIR has been registered against 1000 students in Lanka police station for arson and other charges.
Meanwhile, a four-member committee has been set up by Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik to probe the incident.
The committee will be headed by under Chief Secretary. The committee will probe the excesses committed by the police and the also the allegations that external elements were also supporting the protest.
Following the violence, the district administration declared holidays from Monday till October 2 in all colleges and universities in Varanasi. The BHU had earlier announced that the holidays would start from September 28.
The university authorities said that protests were the work of ‘anti-national’ forces who are trying to malign BHU’s image.
Various political parties, including the Samajwadi Party (SP), has criticised the government and condemned the police action.