Facing flak, BHU V-C GC Tripathi to go on indefinite leave; students hail move, call it their 'victory'

New Delhi: Banaras Hindu University (BHU) students, who have been protesting against the lathicharge on girls at the campus last month, on Tuesday hailed the vice-chancellor’s move to go on indefinite leave as a “victory” for them. University vice-chancellor Girish Chandra Tripathi, under fire for his alleged mishandling of student protests last month, on Monday proceeded on indefinite leave citing personal reasons. [caption id=“attachment_4086213” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Female students and police in a standoff in Varanasi. PTI[/caption] “The vice-chancellor going on leave is a victory for us that the government is paying some attention to our demands. But we want a visitorial inquiry into the matter as he still continues to be the VC and can influence the probe,” said a BHU student Mineshi Mishra. President Ram Nath Kovind is the visitor of the university. Mishra, is among a group of BHU students, who are camping in the national capital protesting against the issue. “We demand immediate dropping of all charges against 14 students, who have received summons, and closure of the FIR in which 1,000 people have been made accused and charged for offences including rioting and attempt to murder,” another student Atul Yadav said. Tripathi, who was scheduled to retire on 30 November, went on leave on Monday citing personal reasons. The development came amid indications from top HRD ministry sources that the central government was upset with the manner in which he handled the entire episode, including a protest by women students of BHU following an incident of alleged harassment. Last month, a number of students, including women, and two journalists were injured in a baton-charge by the police after a protest against an alleged eve-teasing incident turned violent in the BHU, one of the 43 central universities in the country.