BHU students call off protest; varsity assures review of professor's reinstatement
Varanasi: BHU students protesting against the reinstatement of a professor accused of sexually harassing women students called off their agitation on Sunday night after authorities assured that the matter would be reviewed.
The students were protesting since Saturday evening, demanding that the professor be punished.
After assurance from the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) vice chancellor that the matter would be reconsidered and referred back to the executive council for a review, the students called off their protest, according to a press release.
"The complaint against Prof S K Chaube, Department of Zoology, by some students of the department were inquired into by the Complaints Committee.The report of the committee was considered by the executive council and a punishment was imposed on him.
"However, on the recommendation of the matter, it has been decided to refer it back again to the executive council for a review of its decision," the BHU release said."Till the time, the executive council reconsiders it, Prof S K Chaube is directed to proceed on long leave," it said.
Chaube was suspended in October last year on the charges of sexual misconduct levelled by some students of his department.
In June, the BHU executive council, the highest decision-making body of the varsity, revoked the suspension of Chaube, however, it censured and restricted him for taking academic classes.
Chaube returned to taking classes a few days ago, triggering protests, a student said.
In order to ensure prevention of sexual harassment, the university has already circulated guidelines framed under the Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employee and Students in Higher Educational Institutions Act, the release said.
It will be re-circulated for displaying it on the notice board of each department, it said.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
