Visva-Bharati University lodges FIR against ‘unidentified persons’ over ‘defamatory’ posters against teachers

The Visva-Bharati University (VBU) has lodged an FIR at the Santiniketan police station against unidentified persons for allegedly sticking defamatory posters on the campus targeting the university and its recent recruitment process.

According to the university, the posters, issued in the name of the “so-called” Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), contain defamatory allegations against its several members of the teaching community.

Stating that strict action will be taken against those responsible, the university said: “Once identified, unless they make good on their claims. It is contextually worthwhile to remember that, only recently, an individual was spreading vicious rumours through social media about the recruitment process in the Department of Bengali.”

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Visva- Bharati University questions CJP activists

Referring to a recent incident during which an individual allegedly spread rumours on social media over the recruitment process in its department of Bengali, the Visva Bharati University said that legal action was taken and the individual tendered an unconditional apology to the institution.

The university further questioned whether the posters were issued by CJP activists, alleging that a small group of individuals, “some of them possibly belonging to the intramural community itself— using the name of CJP as a cover for their mischief-making.”

“This is, of course, merely an informed guess based on the observation that, no matter what the relative merit of the remonstrative claims made by the CJP, nowhere in this country have the activists of the CJP been seen to spinelessly hide their identities while making them. Nothing more remains to be said on the matter” the official notice read.

Furthermore, it stated that all are witness to the transparency and strict adherence to UGC norms with which the university has been carrying out its recruitment process, inviting all its experts from reputed universities, IITs, among others across the country.

“Perhaps such openness and accountability in the recruitment procedure is anathema to the tiny group of frustrated people who fabricated this cowardly poster since they are no longer capable of pushing through their undeserving relatives or students,” it added.