Vidyasagar College principal lodges complaint against Shah
Kolkata: Three complaints have been lodged against BJP national president Amit Shah and a few party workers for allegedly provoking violence and vandalising Vidyasagar College on Tuesday and till Wednesday evening 58 persons were arrested in this connection.
Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi expressed his concern over the vandalism at the Vidyasagar College on Wednesday. In a statement he said: "As the chancellor of the Calcutta University, I am greatly pained by the desecration of Vidyasagar statue. The real culprit behind the incident must be traced and suitably punished. Efforts should be made by the Calcutta University at the earliest to install a new statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar at the same place."
Two complaints were lodged on Tuesday night by students of Calcutta University (CU) and Vidyasagar College whereas the third complaint was lodged by the principal of the college on Wednesday evening. Students of CU and Vidyasagar College lodged complaints again Shah and BJP workers at Jorasanko and Amherst Street police stations. Based on the complaints, police have initiated FIRs and arrested 58 persons.
One of the complainants, who is a student of Vidyasagar College, said in the complaint that during the rally some hooligans provoked by Shah attacked and ransacked Vidyasagar College. They beat up students, set motorbikes on fire which were parked on the college premises and the statue of Vidyasagar was reduced to pieces.
Based on the complaint an FIR was initiated on charges of rioting, unlawful assembly, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons and under sections of Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act. In this connection, 35 persons have been arrested.
In the second complaint lodged at the Jorasanko police station, the complainant said that women were molested and students were beaten up by hooligans supported by the BJP on the CU campus. Based on the complaint, the FIR was initiated on charges of trespassing, assault on woman with intent to outrage her modesty and assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty. In this case, 23 persons have been arrested.
On Wednesday, Goutam Kundu, principal of Vidyasagar College lodged a complaint at the Amherst Street police station in connection with the Tuesday's incident. Also, on Wednesday the Governing Body (GB) meeting was called urgently.
Following the GB meeting, the principal meet the teachers of the college who later took out a silent protest rally from Vidyasagar College to College Square. Apart from teachers, students also sat on protest against the hooliganism by the BJP supporters and workers which took place on Tuesday.
