New Delhi: Taking a cue from a string of defeats in student union elections across the country, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), student union affiliated with Sangh Parivar, has decided to join the protests against police violence in Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in which several women students and journalists were injured on Saturday night.
ABVP will take to streets on Monday to protest against the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).
Speaking to News 18, ABVP national media convener Saket Bahuguna said, "The purpose of the ABVP protest in Delhi on Monday is not to stand against anybody but to ensure that the issues raised by BHU students are resolved. We will protest outside Shastri Bhawan, which is where the MHRD is, to demand justice for BHU students."
The saffron outfit lost student body polls in Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Gauhati University, University of Hyderabad and Punjab University among others.
The ABVP said it has demanded that a fact-finding team should be set up to look into the incident of lathi-charge in Varanasi. It has also demanded action against the BHU administration for not resolving the complaints of women students.
While Bahuguna stopped short of criticising the Yogi Adityanath government, which is in control of the local police. When asked if ABVP was willing to go against the BJP, he said, "ABVP is a principled outfit. We stand for issues. The media forgets that we are not the student wing of the BJP but are only connected to them. That gives us the democratic right to raise any issue that we think is in the interest of students. MHRD is certainly responsible for this and they must take action."
Violence erupted in Varanasi's premier university as women students protesting against an alleged incident of sexual harassment were beaten up by policemen. Earlier, a woman student had said that a group of men had harassed her on campus but the security guards did nothing to prevent it. When she complained to the warden, he allegedly responded by asking her why did she step out at night. On Saturday night, armed policemen entered the BHU campus and lathi-charged women students. Several journalists were also beaten up by cops.
The BHU administration has claimed the protests were “politically motivated” since they coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Varanasi.
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