West Bengal education minister attacked at Jadavpur University; students demand union election dates

NEW DELHI: Members of CPI(M) students wing SFI and Naxalite AISA gheraoed West Bengal Education minister Bratya Basu and damaged the windscreen of his vehicle in the Jadavpur University campus here on Saturday to press for their demands for declaring students union election dates in the state at the earliest. Basu who went to the JU campus to attend the annual general meeting of West Bengal College and University Professors Association(WBCUPA), tried to speak to the agitating students while leaving the campus but was surrounded by around 100 students who damaged the windscreen of his car, showed him shoes and smashed the rearview mirror of his vehicle.

The minister was later taken to state-run SSKM Hospital where he complained about uneasiness and suffering gashes on his left hand which was hit by broken glass shreds. His security personnel had a trying time to escort him to his vehicle. "I have undergone an x-ray test as I felt pain in my chest. However, doctors told me there was no serious injury. There were some external marks on the upper part of my body but these are not serious," he told reporters while leaving the hospital.

"I was ready to talk to the protesting students. Even the SFI handed over a memorandum to me, but when I was about to board the car again, over 100 protestors turned aggressive and surrounded me. I was ready to speak to five representatives even in the presence of the vice-chancellor, but they did not want constructive dialogue. They wanted chaos and lawlessness.

Minister condemns student protests

They tried to attack my vehicle," the minister said after the medical check-up at the state-run hospital. He said the protestors did not entirely belong to SFI but other ultra-left outfits active on the campus as well. The minister said despite grave provocations on the part of the agitating students, his security guards did not react nor did he seek intervention from the accompanying police escort as "we don't believe in violence and entry of police into campus." Basu, who is also the president of WBCUPA, said the real undemocratic, unruly self of the left student's outfit was exposed by their protests as they shouted slogans against the members of the teaching community.

"Today those who had protested against saffronisation of the country, those who made tall claims about fighting for democracy, fighting against fascism, today joined hands with fascist forces to demonstrate against me and members of the teaching community just because we did not succumb to their pressure tactics, their intimidatory tactics," Basu said earlier. He said to a question, "Ram and Bam (rightwing and left forces) have joined hands to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere on the campus. They manhandled one of our members."

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Basu claimed that several WBCUPA members were injured after being physically assaulted by the protesting students. SFI leader Kaushiki Bhattacharya said the students only wanted to have a discussion with the Education minister with the sole demand to conduct students' union polls at the earliest. "We did not resort to violence. It is the TMC outsiders who joined some of their sympathisers on the campus to attack our activists and use abusive language against us," she said. She claimed that two left student activists were injured after the cars in Basu's convoy ran over their ankles and they had to be admitted to hospital in serious condition.

Students vandalise campus

Denouncing the protest by SFI students, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said our patience and tolerance should not be mistaken as weakness by those who are behind the attack. Ghosh who met Basu at the hospital said, "It was a planned attack on a minister by left ultra-left elements who only want to create chaos. What would have happened if the windshield and rearview mirror had come off and grievously injured the minister who was sitting in the front seat next to the driver? Our patience and tolerance should not be mistaken as weakness by those who are behind such attacks."

After Basu's car left, a section of students tore festoons, and banners put up for the WBCUPA AGM and heckled senior faculty members like Omprakash Mishra. They also vandalised the room of the TMC teachers' wing cell and set the furniture on fire alleging two of their colleagues were deliberately hit by the car of Basu to clear his way. The protesting SFI students also blocked the arterial S C Mallick Road near Jadavpur police station and 8B bus terminus for about an hour before it was withdrawn as commuters intervened.

TMC stages protest rally

There was high drama as state minister Aroop Biswas and Jadavpur MP Sayani Ghosh led a TMC rally which went around Sukanta Setu and 8B bus stand near Jadavpur University in protest against the attack on Basu and senior WBCUPA members who are part of the JU faculty. "We believe in democracy. Those who are making tall claims about democracy, killed democracy on the campus today by vandalising the WBCUPA meeting venue.

By manhandling the teachers. Are they fit to be called students or hooligans?" he said. Biswas said "It will take one minute to establish TMCP's supremacy in the campus. But guided by TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, we will not retaliate." Police had a trying time in separating the protesting TMC and SFI activists as they assembled on either flank of the S C Mallick Road and raised slogans.