FRESH violence broke out on the Jadavpur University (JU) campus in Kolkata on Monday evening when members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) allegedly tried to enter the campus and Students Federation of India (SFI) supporters tried to stop them, resulting in injuries to several persons in both groups, police said.
According to the police, it was not part of the ABVP’s initial plan to enter the university campus and they were stopped at least one kilometre away. However, after the rally, some ABVP supporters went to gate number 3 of the university. As the security guards tried to stop them, a group of SFI supporters also reached the spot, police said.
Later, a large police contingent was deployed to control the situation.
The SFI, All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) and other Left organisations had called for a strike at universities and colleges on Monday to protest Saturday’s incident where a student was injured after being grazed by Education minister Bratya Basu’s car on the JU campus amid protests by students and SFI supporters.
On Monday, student protesters alleged that they were attacked by the police or the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) in different areas. In Siliguri, members of AIDSO alleged that they were attacked by TMCP supporters. At Midnapore Vidyasagar university, SFI members were allegedly targeted by the police.
Members of TMCP and the Leftist student bodies exchanged blows at Vidyasagar University and Medinipur College in Paschim Medinipur district, Panskura Banamali College in Purba Medinipur and North Bengal University in Siliguri as the TMCP activists tried to prevent the Leftist students from enforcing the strike and suspension of classes.
Classes were disrupted in several state-run higher educational institutions in districts due to the strike.
Campuses of Jadavpur and Presidency universities in Kolkata wore a deserted look as common students, faculty members and other staffers stayed away while Students’ Federation of India (SFI) members gathered on the campuses to enforce the day-long strike that began at 10 am.
Members of SFI, AIDSO, AISA and RSF staged demonstrations on the Jadavpur University campus, raising slogans and beating drums. They also locked the doors of many departments to enforce the strike.
A JU official said no classes could be held on the campus during the day.
SFI state secretary Debanjan Dey said, “Our strike was supported by all students across all universities in the state. However, police and TMCP tried to target the movement. They attacked our comrades in different university campuses. Even after that, they failed to stop the protest.”
Meanwhile, TMC leader Dabangshu Bhattacharya claimed that on Saturday, the student protester was injured by another vehicle and not the minister’s car. Countering the claim, SFI leader Srijan Bhattacharya told mediapersons, “We know the TMC, they are lying and showing a different person to support their false claim.”
Meanwhile, Saturday’s incident also led to a political blame game, with both the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP hitting out at Left-affiliated student organisations. Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Monday demanded deployment of central forces at the university.
On Saturday, state minister Aroop Biswas said, “We can capture Jadavpur university in five minutes but we will not because we learnt from our leader Mamata Banerjee to movement in democratic environment.”
– with PTI