The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took the decision to expel three of its members on Sunday after they were apprehended by the Varanasi Police in connection with the alleged molestation of a student from IIT-BHU, as disclosed by the party's Varanasi district chief.
Despite the expulsion, the district chief, Hansraj Vishwakarma, refrained from disclosing the specific roles and designations of the expelled individuals within the party. The decision to expel the accused was made in response to their names surfacing during the police investigation, as confirmed by Vishwakarma.
The Opposition had earlier raised allegations linking the accused to the BJP, prompting the party's decision to take swift action. Vishwakarma clarified that the expulsion was not about distancing the party from the accused but was a proactive measure based on the ongoing investigation. He emphasized that the expelled individuals would face further actions by the directives of the party leadership.
The three accused, namely Kunal Pandey, Anand alias Abhishek Chauhan, and Saksham Patel, were arrested by the Varanasi Police and subsequently presented before a local court, which remanded them to 14 days of judicial custody.
Addressing the allegations, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the accused of being BJP workers and asserted that the party leadership would provide them with immunity in the case. Yadav conveyed his concerns on X, stating that these individuals, accused of indecent behavior with a student at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), were enjoying protection from top BJP leaders.
The incident in question occurred on November 2, when a student from IIT-BHU in Varanasi was reportedly molested by motorcycle-borne assailants on campus during the early hours of the day. The perpetrators allegedly disrobed her and recorded the assault, leading to widespread protests by the IIT-BHU student body demanding justice and improved security measures on campus.
