'What about Visva-Bharati?': Mamata Banerjee amid Aliah University row

KOLKATA: Stating that her government took action against the former TMCP student leader who heckled the vice-chancellor of state-run Aliah University, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday sought to know what steps were initiated against the vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati, a central university.

Giasuddin Mondal, a former leader of the TMC's student wing, was seen in a purported video threatening and verbally abusing Aliah University vice-chancellor Mohammad Ali, following which he was arrested.

"Police have already made an arrest in the Aliah University incident. What is happening in Visva-Bharati and Bolpur? How many people have been arrested there? Has the VC of Visva-Bharati been arrested?" she told reporters at the state secretariat. "A section (community) studies in Aliah University. All are good. There can be discontentment among the students of Aliah University. The one who hurled abuses has been arrested by police. Here police take action," she added.

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Banerjee's comments came in the backdrop of ceaseless student protests at the Visva-Bharati in Bolpur's Santiniketan over a host of issues. "Is there any action taken in Visva-Bharati against what this 'bhadralok' (gentleman) is doing there," she said, in an apparent dig. Incidentally, Visva-Bharati praised the police and said that similar steps should be taken against those students who had gheraoed senior varsity functionaries last month and used abusive words.

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