BHU Student Tonsures Head Outside VC’s Residence in Protest Against Iftar Dinner

After reaching the vice-chancellor's residence, the protesters started “purifying” the area with Gangajal.

Days after a dozen students of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi protested against the iftar party organised in the Women's College inside the campus, a student on Friday, 29 April, tonsured his head outside the vice-chancellor’s residence.

The students said that the agitation will continue until the VC apologises for organising the iftar party, and after reaching the vice-chancellor's residence, started “purifying” the area with Gangajal.

The students claimed that the BHU is being radicalised with Islam and hence it became necessary to purify the vice-chancellor. They also demanded the arrest of those who wrote objectionable slogans on the walls.

The students further recited the Hanuman Chalisa in front of the university as a counter to the iftar dinner.

Earlier, a video of the demonstration where the students held the burning effigy, and chanted 'BHU mein iftaari nahi chalegi. Vice chancellor murdabaad' (There will be no Iftaari in BHU, down with the vice-chancellor) had surfaced.

Responding to the denunciation, the chief proctor of the university, VC Kapri, had stressed that the event was organised to promote Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb.

What Had Happened?

On Wednesday evening, 27 April, the Mahila Mahavidyalaya (MMV) in BHU organised an Iftar party, where Vice-Chancellor Professor Sudhir Kumar Jain was also present.

The fasting teachers and students of the Women's College broke their Ramzan fast and had Iftar at the event attended by top university officials.

रमज़ान के पाक महीने में आज काशी हिन्दू विश्वविद्यालय स्थित महिला महाविद्यालय में रोज़ा इफ्तार का आयोजन किया गया, जिसमें कुलपति प्रो. सुधीर कुमार जैन भी शामिल हुए। कुलपति जी के साथ महिला महाविद्यालय के रोज़ादार शिक्षक, शिक्षिकाओं व छात्राओं ने अपना रोज़ा खोला व इफ्तार की। #Ramadan pic.twitter.com/xoca4NtSFM

— BHU Official (@bhupro) April 27, 2022

Meanwhile, the Banaras Hindu University issued an official statement on Thursday, 28 April, saying that the attempts to disturb the peace and academic atmosphere of BHU are "unacceptable and condemnable".

The statement added, "Iftar could not be organised for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tradition of organising iftar in BHU dates back more than two decades. These iftars were attended by subsequent Vice-Chancellors over the years in the capacity of head of the BHU fraternity and as per their availability on the campus. Attempts to disturb the peace and academic atmosphere of Banaras Hindu University are unacceptable and condemnable."