Stating that Interim Vice-Chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University (RBU) Shubhra Kamal Mukherjee cannot be stopped from entering the campus amid the ongoing protests by a group of students, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the police to submit an action taken report by Wednesday.
Justice Biswajit Basu of the High Court also said that if required, Kolkata Police should escort Mukherjee, the former Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, to his office on the campus.
Students led by the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad have been protesting against Mukherjee since Monday, demanding his removal and immediate appointment of a permanent vice-chancellor.
Mukherjee on Tuesday filed a petition in the High Court seeking police protection. His counsel, Biswarup Bhattacharya, told the High Court that protesting students were not allowing the interim V-C to enter the university’s campuses in Jorasanko and Sithi.
Mukherjee’s counsel also said that police were informed about the situation.
To this, Justice Biswajit Basu said: “I cannot understand why no steps have been taken till now. Who all are protesting? Open the gates of the university immediately. The interim V-C cannot be stopped like this.”
“If required, he should be escorted inside the campus. If he is stopped, then inform the court,” the court told the police.
The court ordered the officer in-charge of Girish Park police station to take adequate steps to ensure that the Interim V-C and the interim Registrar be allowed to enter the university’s Jorasanko campus.
The protesting students have alleged that the Interim V-C, who was appointed by Governor CV Anand Bose in 2023, has been making arbitrary decisions that were “affecting the university’s reputation and academic environment”. The students alleged that the Interim V-C’s behaviour towards the students and staff members was unacceptable.
Sambuddha Chakraborty, a research scholar at the university’s Department of History, said: “Mukherjee is not competent for the post of V-C. The selection process is not right as the state government was not consulted. So, it is an illegal appointment. He doesn’t come to the office either. He does not follow the UGC guidelines. He is a former High Court Justice and had no relation with the education sector. Therefore, the students want him to be removed and a permanent vice-chancellor be appointed in his place.”
The protests began on Monday morning with students blocking the university gate and reportedly preventing the Interim V-C from entering the campus. Interim Registrar Ashis Samanta too had to leave the campus, sources said. On Tuesday, students were seen squatting in front of the office of Mukherjee with a lock on his office door.
The RBU has been facing administrative challenges for over a year.
PTI adds: Speaking on the ongoing protests, Mukherjee said, ” This is an extremely unfortunate situation. They are preventing me from entering the place associated with the memory of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. Isn’t this shocking for a Tagore lover? How can they do this?” He claimed that the students were young but they were aided by a section of non-teaching employees and apparently being instigated by “some other forces”.
To a question, Mukherjee said, “I will not go to the campus in the present situation.” Asked if he had informed the chancellor, the officiating VC said, “I have apprised the appropriate authorities of the present situation on the campus.