Govt cannot intervene in BHU Iftar row: UP Deputy CM

Varanasi: The Uttar Pradesh government would not intervene in the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Iftar party row, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said on Monday. He added that such a programme should have been avoided, PTI reported.

Suggesting that there was no need to invite controversy, he said, No such work was ever done on the university campus established by Pt Madan Mohan Malviya." He added that the matter was between the university and students, and thus the government could not intervene.

The Iftar party was held on Wednesday, and BHU Vice-Chancellor Sudhir Jain and other staff members attended it, which led to a protest by some students.

The protestors alleged that such a programme was started for the first time in BHU and questioned the start of a new tradition. They raised slogans against VC and burnt his effigy.

Meanwhile, one spokesperson for BHU said that Iftar parties are not new to the university and alleged that the protests were an attempt to disturb the peace and harmony inside the campus.