A massive student protest erupted at the Jadavpur University (JU) in Kolkata on Saturday during State Education Minister Bratya Basu’s visit to the campus, where some students allegedly gheraoed and vandalised the minister’s car and also allegedly physically manhandled him. Basu was later admitted at the SSKM hospital and doctors said he was stable. On the other hand, some of the protesters alleged that some students among them were injured by a vehicle part of the minister’s convoy.
The protest was organised by members of the CPI(M) students wing Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and other Left-wing student organisations demanding that students’ union elections be held at the earliest.
West Bengal College and University Professors Association (WBCUPA) representatives filed a complaint against the student organisations at the Jadavpur police station.
Denouncing the incident, Trinamool Congress leader and the party’s state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said, “We are shocked. They planned and attacked Bratya Basu. We will not tolerate such hooliganism.”
“Those who heckled him will be sternly dealt with. The ruling party’s courtesy should not be misconstrued as weakness. Any act of uncivilised behaviour should be dealt with in an appropriate manner,” he added.
Basu was on a visit to the campus to attend the annual general meeting of the West Bengal College and University Professors Association (WBCUPA). When the Left-wing students learnt about his visit to the University, they planned to speak to him to press their demand for student union polls. However, as the students gathered outside the main gate, Basu entered the university campus from another gate.
While addressing the WBCUPA meeting, Basu said, “The TMC is fighting against saffronisation and those who are now protesting outside… ask them how many protests they organised against the BJP.”
After he stepped out of the hall, the students gheraoed Basu’s car. While he tried to speak with the agitating students, they allegedly heckled him and ransacked his car.
Following this, the protesting student organisations allegedly ransacked “Shikshabandhu” office and set fire to a portion of it. They also assembled near the Jadavpur 8B bus stand and blocked the road.
Later, Basu told mediapersons at SSKM Hospital, “This is an unprecedented attack. If they think in such a way they can stop [Chief Minister] Mamata Banerjee, they are wrong. I came out and was ready to talk with them, but they were not in the mood to talk. Our professors are seriously injured. This is not acceptable. We will again go to Jadavpur University and organise a convention.”
Meanwhile, reacting to the incident, CPIM state secretary Mohammad Salim said, “Bratya Basu is doing drama. Our students are barred from every educational organisation for decades. No students union election has been held in the last ten years. SFI is protesting against that peacefully.”