Several student and youth organisations organised protests in the Capital condemning the lathi charge on female students demonstrating against an alleged molestation on the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) campus.
The Indian Youth Congress-led a protest against the NDA government on its ‘inability to run the country’.
It targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign, stating that crores had been spent on the campaign but in reality the State-machinery in Uttar Pradesh was being used to organise a crackdown on female students who were organising a peaceful protest at BHU.
Against moral policing
“This is not the first time that the female students have asked for security measures on campus. The university officials have as always paid no attention to their requests. Are they serious about girl child education?” said the protesters.
The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) also came out in solidarity with BHU students.
It said it was opposed to the culture of moral policing and putting curbs on women’s freedom in the name of women’s safety.
“The premise of gender equality is equal freedom for men and women. It is the responsibility of the university administration to provide its female students a safe and secure environment for education. Curbing women’s freedom by mandating unreasonable curfew timing or shaming victims through character assassination is abdication of their responsibility and must be strongly condemned by all thinking citizens,” said the student organisation.
It demanded a safety audit of all universities to ensure that every campus and surrounding areas are properly lit, adequately patrolled and action is taken on other measures for a safe campus.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) also organised a protest on campus. An effigy of the BHU Vice-Chancellor and the Uttar Pradesh government was burnt.
The students said the BHU administration branded the students as “anti-national” instead of looking into their genuine demands and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ignored the voices in his constituency despite being in Varanasi at that time.
JNUSU president Geeta Kumari requested women across the country to show solidarity with the struggles of the BHU students.
