Protests mar Modi's Varanasi visit

A student was roughed up allegedly by ABVP workers for shouting slogans during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address at the convocation ceremony at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi on Monday to draw his attention to his demand for holding of the students’ union election in the varsity.

The youth, identified as Ashutosh Singh, sought Modi’s intervention in restoring the students’ union. “Our (students) rights are being suppressed...the students’ union polls had not been held since 1997....please listen to our plea,” Singh said in a loud voice just as the prime minister finished his speech at the convocation.

Singh, who was immediately surrounded by the cops, was slapped by ABVP workers, who were present there in large numbers, while being escorted out.

Earlier, police had resorted to lathicharge to disperse a group of BSP workers who had raised slogans against Modi while he was inside the Sant Ravidas Temple in the town.

Two students of Kashi Vidyapeeth, another university in the city, were held outside the BHU gate earlier in the day, for planning to show black flags to Modi. The police recovered black flags and posters of Hyderabad University student Rohith Vemula, who had committed suicide in January.