Four days after a ruckus broke out at the Jadavpur University campus over the visit of Union minister Babul Supriyo, chief minister Mamata Banerjee broke her silence today over the issue and slammed both the BJP and the ABVP. “They try to force their way everywhere and bulldoze everything,” Miss Banerjee said. Referring to the Jadavpur University fracas on 19 September, she said the people of Bengal have seen actually what happened at the educational institute.
State education minister Partha Chatterjee today said that the Governor would hopefully pay a visit to the family members of the persons who died after getting panicked over NRC in the same way he expressed his concern and visited Jadavpur University to rescue Babul Supriyo. Meanwhile, the Jadavpur University authorities said the organisers of any event will have to inform the university authorities and seek permission from them if any political leader is invited as a guest ahead of the event.
The decision came following the ruckus and vandalism that took place over the visit of BJP leader and Union minister Babul Supriyo. He was invited there as a guest at a freshers’ welcome programme organised by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The mayhem ensued after the minister was heckled, manhandled and shown black flags by the students affiliated to various Left-backed organisations. The situation soon spiralled out of control as suspected ABVP activists went on the rampage and vandalised the university union room. They also blocked the road in front of the university and set tyres on fire.
Ultimately, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar drove to the spot and rescued Mr Supriyo with police escort. Tension ran high at the university campus today as the ABVP activists took out a rally from Golpark to protest against the attack on Babul Supriyo. Hundreds of students, teachers and activists of several Leftaffiliated students’ unions gathered outside the gate no 4 of the university and formed a human chain to prevent the ABVP activists from entering the campus. Jadavpur University’s pro- VC Pradip Kumar Ghosh and registrar Snehamanju Basu also came out in support of the students.
“We are present here in front of the university gate, so that no untoward incident takes place today,” said Partha Pratim Roy of JUTA (Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association). The students were seen carrying posters against ABVP, wearing black badges and shouting slogans against the BJP. Later in the afternoon, they took out a rally from the university campus to Sulekha More. Large contingent of police forces were deployed to maintain law and order. Bengal Intellectual Society expressed their deep anguish and sadness over the incident that took place at Jadavpur University campus.
Condemning the incident, a member of the organisation said, “The event was scheduled much before and as soon as the ABVP guests started arriving and walking to the venue, they were greeted with a very hostile and impolite group of students who had assaulted them. The vivid footage of young students indulging in such low antics coupled with foul rhetoric and hooliganism is unacceptable and must be denounced. During the incident, Agnimitra Paul’s saree was torn by the unruly students and she along with Union minister Babul Supriyo was confined for hours together inside the university campus despite their repeated calls for rescue.”