One person has been arrested and seven FIRs have been registered in connection with the incident at Jadavpur University (JU) where Bratya Basu, state education minister who went to the campus on Saturday to attend a convention organised by the ruling Trinamool Congress-backed college and university teachers’ organisation, was heckled and allegedly assaulted by Left and ultra- Left students’ organisations demanding campus polls that have not been held at the university since 2020. The arrested person is a former student of the university.

 

When the minister was about to leave the campus on Saturday, the agitating students surrounded Basu’s vehicle and hurled shoes at his car. They climbed onto the moving vehicle and smashed the windscreen allegedly hurting the minister.

 

Basu was immediately taken to the trauma care centre of the state government- run SSKM Hospital for treatment as the minister suffered injuries to his waist, neck and left hand.

 

One student who tried to stop the minister’ car from leaving the campus was also injured as he fell from the vehicle when it picked up speed and sped away. The injured student was admitted to KPC Hospital close to the university with a  fracture and eye and head injuries.

 

On Sunday Basu said that he was sorry that a student was injured. He said it was uncalled for and he would want to meet the student’s parents.

Students, teachers guardians and ordinary citizens expressed shock at the incident and wondered how a minister’ car sped away despite seeing the students in front of his vehicle who could be under it’s wheels.

 

Minister Basu later said: ” The students wanted to meet me and I was ready to discuss their demands with them. A group of SFI students met me but the other group wanted 40 students from their group will have to allowed to meet him at a time. This was not possible.. Attempts were being made to disrupt the convention. Can you think of doing the same in Uttar Pradesh or any other BJP- ruled state? If you can do this in seven days, I will admit you have the guts. Our government is tolerant of protests. But you have no right to disrupt the meeting where so many college and univetsity teachers are attending….”

 

Jadavpur University vice-chancellor Bhaskar Gupta said the Trinamool Congress- backed West Bengal College and University Professors’ Association (WBCUPA) had taken due permission from the university for holding the convention.” I could not understand why the students had to meet the minister on Saturday itself. The minister agreed to meet but the students demanded 40 students would be present at the meeting. This was not possible” Gupta said.

 

The Jadavpur Univetsity Teachers’ Association (JUTA) said in a statement that everyone has the democratic right to organise a programme. The students were trying to seek an answer from the minister on a legitimate demand for holding student union elections which is pending for a long time. ” We strongly condemn the way the minister’s car picked up speed ignoring the students injuring one of our students,” the teachers said.