Chief minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated an anti-ragging helpline number for all educational institutions in the state. The toll free number is 1800 345 5678. Meanwhile, state education minister Bratya Basu held Governor CV Ananda Bose responsible for ragging and subsequent death of the student in Jadavpur University.
He was addressing the Assembly this morning. Mr Basu said no one knows why the Governor had appointed the vice-chancellor of Jadavpur University and subsequently removed him. “The Governor does not believe in dialogue, he believes only in monologue,” he maintained, adding,
“The Governor should be held responsible for the death of the student.” Mr Basu said a medical student was killed following ragging in Himachal Pradesh in 2003 and subsequently the Raghavan Committee had given recommendations which included installation of CCTVs and police pickets in the universities. “The students of JU did not allow the authorities to install CCTVs.” Mr Basu alleged that the BJP is trying to gain political mileage by using the situation in Jadavpur University.
Refuting the allegations made by Suvendu Adhikari, leader of Opposition, he said, “Like JNU, BJP is going for saffronisation of universities. If drugs are being pushed to the students, it is the responsibility of the Narcotic Control Bureau to look into the matter,” he said. He said the state government had sent names of the VCs and other senior teachers and deans and the Governor is sitting on the files.
He said the state government will follow the guideline of the Supreme Court to bring down ragging. “There are allegations of ragging against the premier organizations like IIT Kharagpur. We are against ragging and I assure the House that stringent action will be taken against those involved in the death of the student in JU,” he remarked.