BJP version of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao in BHU https://t.co/2XWIG5CG2q — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) 1506238934000

NEW DELHI: A day after police beat up women students of Banaras Hindu University ( BHU ) in Varanasi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi snarkily remarked that incidents like this display the " BJP version" of PM Narendra Modi 's vaunted campaign to protect and educate the girl child.The Congress leader was referring to Modi's campaign,'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'. The 'Protect and Educate Your Daughters" campaign was launched by the PM in 2015 to end female foeticide/infanticide, improve the country's abysmal sex ratio and stop discrimination and harassment of women.In fact, the students who were beaten up by police were protesting the alleged sexual harassment of a woman student at the university in Varanasi in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh . The students were allegedly trying to enter the V-C's house on Saturday night when they were caned by police.Rahul reacted to the beating up of the women students by tweeting that the incident displayed the "BJP version of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'. Varanasi is PM Modi 's Parliamentary constituency.BHU, meanwhile, responded with what appeared to a politically partisan comment - politically partisan for an independent education institution, that is. It said that the violence that erupted hours after PM Modi left Varanasi following a two-day visit, was "politically motivated", reported PTI.The education institution issued a statement Saturday night saying the protests by students just a day before the PM's visit was "politically motivated" to malign the image of the university.The university's students allege they face sexual harassment on the campus regularly and that the administration has failed to take action against the harassers, reported PTI.On Sunday, when Congress leaders Raj Babbar and PL Punia tried to visit the university, they were detained by police.Several other Opposition leaders too condemned the beating up of the students."Only a barbaric govt unleashes male police with lathis (sticks) on women students. Why is BJP-RSS so scared of students?" asked CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Twitter.The Samajwadi Party, which was in power in the state before the BJP swept the polls earlier this year, also condemned the incident."The government should resolve the issue by talks, not by lathicharge (beating with sticks). It is condemnable. Action should be taken against the guilty," tweets Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav.