Guv calls JU court meeting, Bratya says Bose behaving like a ‘talukdar’

: The state and the Raj Bhavan have again crossed swords over the Governor calling an urgent Jadavpur University court meeting by allegedly bypassing the state higher education department.

Governor C V Ananda Bose, who is also the Chancellor of state universities, called for a JU court meeting on Wednesday at Raj Bhavan on the issue of the death of the first-year student, Swapnodeep Kundu who is a victim of an alleged ragging culture that prevails in the university’s main hostel. The meeting was called at 5 pm and the representatives of the university were asked to be present.

The meeting was called in the wake of the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) seeking a report from the Chancellor on the incident as the university presently has no vice-chancellor (V-C). Bose had recently asked the interim V-C Amitabha Dutta to hand over his resignation.

As learnt from Raj Bhavan sources, the Governor has emphasised filling up the vacancies in the JU’s administrative posts, as early as possible.

Discussions were also held relating to the formation of an anti-ragging committee. In light of the death of Swapnodeep, the Chancellor decided to form a committee for all state universities that will listen to complaints. It is likely to be headed by the former chief justice of Karnataka High Court Subhra Kamal Mukherjee, who is now the interim V-C of Rabindra Bharati University.

However, without naming the Governor and alluding to Wednesday’s meeting, the state Education minister Bratya Basu told the media that a person under the instructions of the BJP is trying to hijack the education system in the state.

“The one who is trying to do this must answer why he is calling such a meeting illegally. After 1956, no Chancellor ever called a court meeting. He is constantly bypassing the State Higher Education department. He is acting as a ‘talukdar’ of state universities,” Basu said.