A student of Banaras Hindu University was beaten up by Bharatiya Janata Party supporters on Monday when he asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi a question about college elections during a convocation ceremony. NDTV reported that Ashutosh Singh was pulled away by the police, before being beaten up allegedly by BJP workers. As Modi was leaving the stage after his speech, Singh shouted out to him demanding the revival of the student body elections at the university, IBN reported. Singh was detained by the police, but reports said he will be released soon.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed an audience as the chief guest of the centenary year convocation ceremony of BHU. During the event, he apologised for declining to accept an honorary doctorate degree offered by the university. Modi said he did not consider himself worthy of it. Varanasi and BHU authorities are on alert for the prime minister’s visit to his parliamentary constituency, as several Dalit organisations have planned protests over Hyderabad University student Rohith Vemula’s suicide, The Indian Express reported.