Visva Bharati: Agitating pupils clash with security guards

KOLKATA: Clashes broke out between security guards, state police and students in front of Visva Bharati University's Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty residence.

It has been alleged that during the chaos due to clash, Chakraborty left his residence but had to face obstacles while trying to enter the university. The students were reportedly protesting in front of the main gate as well.

They are demanding the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor of the university. This had led to 150 professors and other officials to stand outside the main gate.

Chakraborty was kept restrained to the house for the last 21 days as the students were protesting outside the residence. At around 12 noon when Chakraborty tried to step out, the protesters attempted to block his path leading to a scuffle between them and the security guards as well as state police. Allegations were made by the students that Chakraborty had reportedly hurled stones at the students. A video was circulated on social media claiming this.

However, Millennium Post has not verified the authenticity of the video. Visva Bharati on Thursday announced the postponement of its annual convocation, scheduled to be held on December 11, till further notice due to the ongoing agitation by a section of students near the residence of Vice-Chancellor

The students are demanding outstation students to be allotted hostel rooms immediately, and the thesis of PhD and MPhil scholars to be evaluated in a time-bound manner. The public relations officer of the university, Mahua Banerjee, in a statement said that the convocation scheduled to be held on December 11 had been suspended until further notice due to the unrest caused by the protest in the campus.