Gherao of JU V-C condemnable: Minister

Higher Education Minister Partha Chatterjee on Saturday condemned the gherao of the Vice Chancellor of Jadavpur University by some students who had been demanding election in February.

Chatterjee said that the way students gheraoed the V-C and other senior officials of the university is condemnable.

“We do not support the method of the protest by which the V-C had been gheraoed for more than 24 hours. The process of applying force to achieve some demands cannot be supported,” Mr Chatterjee said.

He also said that as Madhyamik and Higher Secondary examinations are scheduled to take place in February the security arrangements will be a problem during that time. The State government had already asked the JU authorities not to hold the election as there could not be enough security deployment. 

The students, however, remained adamant in their demand of holding the election in February and pressurised the university authorities. The Vice Chancellor, Registrar, other professors and the members of the governing body remained gheraoed for more than 24 hours. The university authorities have assured the students that the matter would be discussed with Chancellor of the university.

The students on Saturday demanded the university to issue the notification for holding the election. The students said that they would continue the agitation till their demands were met. Last Tuesday in a meeting, the JU authorities had decided to hold the election in February and informed the matter to the state government. But the state higher education department refused to accept the university’s appeal and told them that the election cannot be possible in February.