A violent clash broke out at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) on Tuesday night when students of Birla C Hostel clashed with the university’s proctorial board. The situation quickly turned into stone-pelting, leaving several students, proctorial staff and police personnel with minor injuries. Police and PAC forces were called in to restore order and the hostel area was temporarily sealed off.
According to Rajkumar Sharma, in-charge of Lanka police station, the BHU proctorial board filed a complaint after handing over two students, Ankit Pal and Ankit Singh. Police and PAC personnel were deployed on the hostel road to monitor the situation, Times of India reported.
Incident triggered by car accident
The trouble started when a car hit a Birla C Hostel student near Rajaram Hostel around midnight. In response, hostel students went to the proctorial board office to complain, leading to a confrontation with the board’s security staff. The argument soon turned into stone-pelting, the TOI report said.
Seeing the situation getting out of hand, the university called the police. Officers from five police stations, along with PAC, quickly arrived at the campus. Students were then guided back to their hostels and the hostel area was sealed off.
After more than two hours, ACP Bhelupur Gaurav Kumar said the situation was under control. Several people, including students, proctorial staff and police, suffered minor injuries. The police are also investigating the role of Ankit Pal, who has been involved in previous incidents, the report added.
Student demands remain undisclosed
The university administration has refused to disclose the exact nature of the students’ demands, which initially led to the protest, or the immediate cause of the flare-up.
After last year’s gang rape of an IIT-BHU student, security on campus has been increased. Multiple barriers have been put up and after 10 pm., neither students nor outsiders are allowed to cross certain routes. The administration says these measures are for student safety, but many BHU students oppose the restrictions, claiming the barriers create unnecessary difficulties in moving in and out of the campus, according to a report by Mathrubhumi.com.
