Vulgar Bhojpuri songs played after flag hoisting at IIT (BHU); univ orders probe

The Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University has set up a team to probe how vulgar Bhojpuri songs were played after the national flag was hoisted on the occasion of Independence Day, official sources said on Tuesday (August 16).

The incident, the video of which went viral on social media, drew widespread criticism, prompting the IIT administration to constitute a committee to inquire into the matter. An  IIT (BHU) official said on Tuesday that every year, a programme was organised to hoist the national flag on Independence day at the Gymkhana ground.

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After the flag hoisting programme ended, the teachers and non-teaching staff had left the venue. At that time, some youths linked the music system with their mobile phones, playing some Bhojpuri songs and began dancing. He added that as soon as the staff heard the vulgar songs, they switched off the music system and asked the youths to leave the venue.

IIT (BHU)’s joint registrar Rajan Srivastava said that the institute has taken cognizance of the indecent Bhojpuri song episode and a committee has been formed to probe it. “Action will be taken after the probe report comes,” he said.

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Teachers and intellectuals have termed the incident as objectionable and indecent. Anil Upadhyay a former professor of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth said that such an incident should not have taken place on such an auspicious occasion. “BHU has its own illustrious history and the BHU administration should have stopped an incident of this type,” he said.

Many others from the teaching community expressed concern over the incident.

(With inputs from agencies)