Congress wants BHU VC sacked, demands enquiry by HC judge

New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on the BHU violence, the Congress on Monday demanded sacking of the university Vice Chancellor and an enquiry by a sitting High Court judge.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said that while Modi is vocal on almost all issues, his silence over the violence on girls in his own parliamentary constituency Varanasi is questionable.

On Saturday, police resorted to a baton charge in Banaras Hindu University injuring some protesting students outside their hostel.

"What has been happening in this centre of learning over the last two days is absolutely preposterous and shocking. Varanasi is the parliamentary constituency of the Prime Minister and his government runs a campaign 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'.

"What is playing itself out in his own constituency is the perpetration of the most unspeakable atrocities on girl students who were protesting against eve-teasing and alleged molestation and demanding a safer campus," said Tewari.

He also took on Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Vice-Chancellor G.C. Tripathi, stating that it was shameful on his part to have suggested that girl students not step outside the hostel after 6 p.m.

"We would like to ask the Prime Minister that does such a person deserve to be the Vice Chancellor of one of India's most premier universities.

"One who is so insensitive to the genuine concerns of women students and rather than empathising with them, the university goes and colludes in the most barbaric lathi-charge," he added.

"There's a big difference between his (Modi) words and actions... On one side, he calls for educating and protecting the girl child and when girls go to study, they are molested," he added.

Calling the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh insensitive, Tewari said: "Instead of taking strict action against the culprits, Uttar Pradesh police rather resorted to baton charge on the girls. What kind of administration is this?"

Terming the BJP government in the state "fascist in nature" and "undemocratic", Tewari said an FIR should be lodged against the official who ordered the cane-charge.

The party demanded that President Ram Nath Kovind, who is the Visitor of the University, should immediately take cognisance of what has happened in BHU and sack the Vice Chancellor.

"We also demand that there should be an enquiry by a sitting High Court judge, who should go into all the facts and circumstances as to how this atrocity was perpetrated and hold all those people who were responsible for ordering the cane-charge to account," he added.

"We would like to know from Modi where does he stand on this atrocity which has been perpetrated on women students in his own parliamentary constituency," Tewari also said.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday hit out at the BJP government by uploading a news report and tweeted: "BJP version of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao in BHU".