Panic and protests erupted at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi after students allegedly found a dead lizard inside chicken curry served at the Dalmia hostel mess on Tuesday.<br /><br />According to students, nearly 30 to 40 hostel residents had already consumed the food before the reptile was discovered inside the curry container. Soon after the incident came to light, several students reportedly complained of nausea and vomiting, triggering chaos inside the hostel premises.<br /><br />As the news spread, angry students gathered outside the mess and staged protests against hostel authorities, accusing them of serious negligence in food quality and hygiene standards.<br /><br />Videos from the hostel showed heated arguments between students and officials, while several residents surrounded the warden demanding strict action against the mess contractor.<br /><br />After receiving information about the incident, the university’s proctorial board and hostel warden rushed to the spot.<br /><br />Students also submitted a written complaint highlighting multiple issues related to hostel management, including poor food quality and shortage of clean drinking water.<br /><br />Mess operator Arvind Chaurasia claimed that the reptile may have accidentally fallen into the food due to extreme summer conditions.<br /><br />“During summers, many lizards enter the area. One of them may have fallen into the food,” he said.<br /><br />However, students alleged that repeated complaints regarding hygiene and maintenance inside the hostel mess had been ignored by the administration.<br /><br />The protest continued for a considerable time before authorities assured students that the mess operator would be removed and other hostel-related problems would also be addressed. Following the assurance, the protesting students dispersed peacefully.<br /><br />While several students reported discomfort after the incident, no serious health complications had been reported till the filing of this report.<br /><br />#BHU #Varanasi #HostelMess #BanarasHinduUniversity #StudentProtest
