Kolkata:
The West Bengal College and University Professors Association (WBCUPA) described Saturday’s rampage by left student activists in Jadavpur University campus where Education minister Bratya Basu was heckled by protestors as “lumpenism”.
The TMC leaning WBCUPA’s associate secretary and state committee member Syed Tanveer Nasreen told PTI the unruly elements in the garb of students belonging to left outfits “deflated” tyres of the minister’s car when it arrived at the campus and went on a rampage inside the WBCUPA AGM venue in the campus.
“They disrupted the peaceful atmosphere in the campus, they barged into the venue of the meeting attended by college and university teachers coming from across the state. The way these protesting students behaved is nothing but sheer lumpenism. Their conduct is so unlike true and real students. This is very unexpected of a student,” Syed Tanveer Nasreen said.
Syed Tanveer Nasreen termed the conduct of the students as “unrightful, unlawful intervention in the democratic functioning of a teachers’ body.” Senior JU teacher Omprakash Mishra alleged that he was manhandled and heckled by some of the protestors.
The Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) in a statement said while everyone has the democratic right to organise a programme, “a section of outsiders belonging to the ruling party went on a rampage in the campus when the students were trying to air their legitimate demands for holding student union elections on time.” “The vehicle of the minister ran over the foot of our first-year student Ramanuj, injuring him seriously. We call upon the university authorities to take positive and effective steps in this regard very soon,” JUTA general secretary Partha Pratim Roy said.
The All Bengal University Teachers’ Association (ABUTA) said, “While the lawlessness in the campus was unexpected and any organisation has the democratic right to hold its programme, we condemn the way a minister’s car crushes over the foot of a student and leaves the campus. We demand strong and prompt action by the VC in this matter and demand proper treatment of the student.” Members of CPI(M) students wing SFI and Naxalite AISA gheraoed Bratya Basu and damaged the windscreen of his vehicle in the Jadavpur University campus here to press for their demands for declaring students union election dates in the state at the earliest.
Bratya Basu who went to the JU campus to attend the annual general meeting of WBCUPA tried to speak to the agitating students while leaving the campus but was surrounded by around 100 students who damaged the windscreen of his car, showed him shoes and smashed the rearview mirror of his vehicle.
His security personnel had a trying time to escort him to his vehicle.
The minister was later taken to state-run SSKM Hospital where he complained about uneasiness and suffering gashes on his left hand.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Hindkesharistaff and is published from a syndicated feed.)