As the protest at Banaras Hindu University entered its third day, a group of women students agreed to meet the Vice Chancellor following much deliberation and debate. As the scheduled time for the meeting closed in, however, the VC was a no-show.
Frustrated, the students are expected to be up all night to protest on campus, marking the fourth day of the protest.
At least 400-500 students, both girls and boys, gathered at BHU on Saturday to demonstrate against the molestation of a female student on campus.
The students had initially demanded that the VC meet them outside his office, in full media glare.
A group of girls, however, later agreed to meet the VC separately, on the condition that no other professor be present, and the media and SP also be at the meeting.
The protesters also sent a list of demands to the VC, including strict action against those accused in molestation cases, removal of curfew for women and female guards on campus.
The fate of the protest now hangs in balance as the VC failed to keep the meeting.
Even as the students were contemplating meeting the VC, sudden violence erupted at the protest. A group of boys picked up metal sticks and charged at male members present at the protest. Police said one person may have been injured, but the situation otherwise was controlled.
Meanwhile, a company of CRPF jawans was deployed on the campus, in addition to the 80-odd police force already present.
On 21 September, a first-year-student was allegedly molested and harassed by three men outside her hostel at around 6 pm. The authorities reportedly questioned why the girl was outside at the time, triggering widespread protests by students.
Recalling the incident, a friend of the victim said:
The incident happened on Thursday evening (21 September) at 6 pm when three men on a bike teased my friend and tried to block her way. They even tried to put their hands under her kurta. Aghast, she went to the proctor’s office to complain against the misconduct of the men. The proctor, in turn, went on to question her credibility. She was told that it was wrong for her “to be out at 6 pm.”
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