Varanasi: Banaras Hindu University’s chief proctor took moral responsibility for the violence on campus and quit, but the man in the eye of the storm, vice-chancellor GC Tripathi, decided to fight it out and blamed the female students for daring to protest against harassment.
Tripathi had met students at their hostel for a discussion on Wednesday evening, in what was ostensibly an attempt to put an end to the row. But he only ended up making matters worse as he shamed the women for “selling modesty and dishonouring the university".
The conversation with the students was captured by a student on her mobile phone. In the video, the VC can be heard asking the students, “Why did you protest and bring dishonour to the university?"
“Teachers had called you for a discussion but you did not come. Only those should talk about duty who follow their own duty," he told the students. Then came the shocker. “Ek ladki ki izzat bazaar mein leke nikle tum log. Yeh sahi hai? (You sold the modesty of the woman with your protests. Is this right?)," Tripathi said.
The vice-chancellor has been facing flak for mishandling the protests after the female students were allegedly lathi-charged for agitating against a student’s molestation on the campus. He has been issued a notice by the National Human Rights Commission for failing to act on the woman’s complaint and the “unwarranted thrashing of students, mostly women".
Tripathi has repeatedly made controversial statements to defend the university’s action, or the lack of it. He was also quoted as saying the university “cannot pay heed to the demand of every girl" as it would make running the university difficult. For this statement, he was issued a notice by the National Commission for Women.
He later denied making the statement and told CNN-News18 that he meant that rules should be framed after taking girls' views into consideration. He has also claimed that the protests were the handiwork of “anti-social elements" who wanted to defame the university. The students have said they will continue the protests till Tripathi steps down.
He now finds himself in a tight spot, as according to media reports, the government has asked him to go on leave and has started the search for his replacement. The ministry wants to avoid a situation where Tripathi continues on his post beyond his tenure while his successor is appointed. His term ends on November 27.
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