VARANASI: Wrapping up their two-day inquiry session into the September 21 sexual harassment incident followed by brutal police action on protesting students in the Banaras Hindu University campus, National Commission for Women chairperson Rekha Sharma on Friday held vice-chancellor Prof G C Tripathi solely responsible for the flare-up.
Prof Tripathi, who is due to retire next month, has been sent on an indefinite leave from September 29. In fact, the outgoing V-C had drawn widespread ire from different quarters for his inept handling of last month’s unrest. Prof Tripathi was believed to have been prodded by Union Hbelievedstry to proceed on leave as a fall out of the flare-up.
Substantiating the Commission’s stand over the V-C’s role, NCW chief said that Tripathi could have averted the whole incident if he had met the molestation victim immediately and had addressed her grievances patiently. “He failed to live up to the expectations of the students,” she stated. “A general is worthless if he lacks the courage to lead the troops,” added Sharma
The NCW team, which focuses on issues like gender discrimination and girls’ safety issues, asserted that during the course of their interaction with the parties concerned, eve-teasing emerged out as the real menace plaguing the women. “Such incidents are rampant on campus,” maintained Sharma adding that she would submit her inquiry report to the government within a week. Besides, indicting the V-C, the commission also opined that police brutalities and baton charge on peacefully protesting girls were unfound.
The commission, which felt that the V-C should also join the probe, failed to contact him. He was given two days’ time to respond else a summon would be sent to him. “As the V-C neither responded to phone calls nor messages, he will be summoned to Delhi to appear before the Commission and record his statement,” Sharma said on Friday.
The NCW team was here since Thursday to take first-hand account of situation, violence, sexual harassment of a girl and cane -charge on students of Mahila Mahavidyalaya. They held a lengthy session of hearing and recorded statements of a number of students, university authorities and police officials.
Advocating for the need for behavioural sensitisation of boys on campus, National Commission for Women chief claimed that she was informed that a number of outsiders are staying in hostels enjoying the confidence of the authorities.