Babul Supriyo shown black flags at JU, ABVP supporters 'vandalise' campus
Kolkata: Union Minister Babul Supriyo faced protests and were shown black flags by a section of students in Jadavpur University as he visited the campus to attend a seminar organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Thursday afternoon.
Several pro-Left students shouting slogans surrounded Supriyo soon after he arrived for the event at K P Basu Memorial Hall and asked him to leave. Later in the day in a retaliatory act, the ABVP supporters, armed with sticks, vandalised the Arts Union Room of the varsity. They even set fire to furniture that was thrown away from the Union Room.
"Babul Supriyo go back, go back", shouted the two Left-leaning organizations — Arts Faculty Students' Union (AFSU) and Students Federation of India (SFI). As the minister got down from his car and enquired about the reason behind their behaviour, a heated altercation followed. The students allegedly pushed and shoved him and his shirt was also torn by the agitators amidst the scuffle as the Asansol MP's bodyguards tried to throw a security ring around him.
Vice-Chancellor Suranjan Das and Pro Vice-Chancellor Pradip Ghosh intervened and requested Supriyo to come to the chamber. The minister refused and said if the Vice-Chancellor had come to receive him at the university gate then such things would not have happened.
Later, after Supriyo attended the programme that was meant to be a fresher's welcome, he was again greeted with slogans.
"We were organising a peaceful protest but the minister provoked us and even hurled abuses at us. He even abused us in front of the Vice-Chancellor," one of the agitating students said as they blocked the way of the minister and refused to let him go till he sought an apology.
Babul sought police intervention but according to him Vice-Chancellor Suranjan Das said he would better resign than call the cops. Das also told reporters that he would submit his report regarding the incident to the Governor who is the Chancellor of the varsity.
After being informed about the incident of the minister remaining confined inside the campus for so long, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar called up Das and even state Chief Secretary Malay De. He also called up Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who is currently in New Delhi. According to Nabanna sources, De reportedly told the Governor that the police has been directed to take steps in the matter.
The V-C and Pro V-C both fell sick and around 6.40 pm both were admitted to a private hospital in Dhakuria. "Both have been admitted with complaints of headache, vertigo, palpitation and nausea. Both of them suffered accelerated hypertension or a sudden onset of hypertension," a statement on behalf of the hospital read.
Das has been admitted to ICU given his history of high BP and diabetes. "Both of them have undergone ECG test and have been administered intravenous drug for palpitation and medicine for high blood pressure," a spokesperson at the hospital said.
Governor Dhankhar rushed to Jadavpur University and amidst protests, took Supriyo out in his personal car and as he tried to leave the campus, he was stopped by the agitating students. Finally, with the help of the police, the Governor along with the minister left the campus through gate number 3.
AFSU leader Debraj Debnath, asserted that 'fascist forces' will not be allowed inside the campus. "We will not let the BJP, the RSS and the ABVP to spread their ideologies in a liberal institute like Jadavpur University. Several members of our union have been injured in the incident."
