Jadavpur campus turns into veritable battlefield

Kolkata: Union minister Babul Supriyo was shown black flags and allegedly heckled by a section of students at Jadavpur University, where he had gone to address an event organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Thursday afternoon.

Several pro-Left students shouted slogans and surrounded Supriyo soon after he arrived for the programme and asked him to leave. Later in the day in a retaliatory act, the ABVP supporters armed with sticks went on a rampage and damaged several university properties, including the Arts Union Room of the varsity and even set fire to the furniture.

Slogans of "Babul Supriyo go back, go back" were chanted by two Left-leaning organizations — Arts Faculty Students' Union (AFSU) and Students Federation of India (SFI). As the minister got down from his car, a heated altercation followed and the students allegedly pushed and shoved him and in the process, his shirt was also torn.

Vice-Chancellor Suranjan Das and Pro Vice-Chancellor Pradip Ghosh intervened but in vain as they failed to calm the agitating students who insisted on Supriyo's apology.

Babul sought police intervention but according to him, Vice-Chancellor Suranjan Das said he would better resign than call the cops. 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. The V-C and Pro V-C both fell sick and around 6.40 pm both were admitted to a private hospital in Dhakuria.

Governor Dhankhar rushed to Jadavpur University and amidst protests, took Supriyo out in his personal car but as he tried to leave the campus, he was stopped again by the agitating students. Finally, with the help of the cops, the Governor along with the minister left the campus through gate number 3.