BHU row a `conspiracy' to defame varsity: Mumbai alumni

Mumbai:  City-based former students of the Banaras Hindu University have alleged there is a "conspiracy" to defame the varsity and criticised its administration for failure to handle the violence on the campus. Scores of students, including women, and two scribes were injured in a baton-charge by the police in the BHU where a protest on Saturday night against an alleged eve-teasing incident turned violent.

The violence erupted after some students, protesting against the incident on Thursday, wanted to meet the Varanasi- based varsity's vice-chancellor at his residence. Pyare Lal, a BHU alumnus working as a consultant in the Indian Naval Maritime Academy, claimed the violence was orchestrated at the behest of "opposition parties".

He said, "During 1965-1980, when I was a student, leaders of Sanyukt Yuvjan Sabha (a youth body) were responsible for damaging the academic environment and closure of the university for a prolonged period. Now the same is being repeated at the behest of opposition parties." 

Another senior member of BHU Alumni-Mumbai, Markandey Singh said, "In my opinion, non-BHU people are adding fuel to the fire. Conspiracy can't be ruled out. BHU students will never defile the statue of Mahamana (as Madan Mohan Malviya, who founded the varsity, is fondly called). We are mulling to approach President (of India) seeking his intervention." 

Siddh Vidya, an alumnae of BHU working as an advocate here, dismissed allegations of rampant eve-teasing in the university premises made by a section of students. "I studied there and stayed in girls hostel for eight years, but did not face even a single incident of this nature.

I visited BHU a few days back and found everything like before. There is something fishy (about recent incidents) I am sure," she said. The former students criticised the BHU administration for failure to handle the violence on the campus.