Bringing the curtains down on the four-month-long unrest at Jadavpur University, Vice-Chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti on Monday agreed to step down from the post following the intervention of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Jadavpur University students will settle for nothing less than Vice Chancellor Abhijit Chakraborty's exit for letting loose political goons and Rapid Action Troops on peaceful protesters in the campus. Indrani Roy reports
With Jadavpur University students demanding the Vice Chancellor's resignation over a molestation case, an apology message attributed to the VC was on Saturday posted on the varsity website, which official sources denied claiming the website has been hacked.
The BJP locked in an intense rivalry with the TMC since general election vented ire against the state government over the episode, whereas the ruling party directed its criticism at the Governor for rushing to the University which it said is expected to provide justice to the university's vice-chancellor, professors, students, who were beaten up during and the after the minister's visit there.
"Student unrest has become a common phenomenon in JU. The trend of CPI-M and Left-backed student unions of JU has been to stop anything that is against their ideology, which is totally against the country's democratic set up. We condemn it," state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh said.
Describing the behaviour of the agitating students as "absolutely deplorable", he alleged that the protesters were trying to "disturb peace" at the institute by "instigating the students and seminar organisers to create a stampede-like situation".
Another student of the department, said around 25 of his batchmates did not go to the podium to collect their degrees.
Jadavpur University has formed a committee to investigate a controversy involving a student wearing a hijab during an exam. Allegations of Islamophobia have been made, which faculty members deny.
The Jadavpur University vice chancellor and registrar, who were gheraoed by students demanding a fresh probe panel on an alleged sexual harassment of a girl student inside the campus, were freed in the wee hours of Wednesday by a strong contingent of police force, which arrested 35 students.
Jadavpur University Vice Chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti, who was rescued by the police after being held hostage by students, said he feared that he would have been killed had the police not come.
The cops' RTI reply does clear the air about the varsity chief's role on that eventful night. The letter, however, fails to explain how his 'unarmed police' resorted to merciless lathi-charge, video footage of which was broadcast by many television channels.
In controversial comments, Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress member of Parliament and nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, referred Jadavpur University protestors as "drug addicts" questioning whether the student protests in Jadavpur University were because of a ban on drugs and liquor inside the campus.
Jadavpur University students on Friday did not allow the Registrar and Pro-Vice Chancellor to enter the campus and boycotted classes for the second consecutive day in protest against police action on them two days ago.
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose skipped the convocation ceremony of Jadavpur University, alleging that the event was organized in violation of several rules and laws. The governor, who is the chancellor of the university, claimed the convocation was "illegal" and "fraught with malpractices." The university administration refuted the allegations, stating that all procedures were followed and the governor's approval was sought. The incident has sparked controversy, with some accusing the governor of acting at the behest of the BJP government and undermining the autonomy of the university.
History of sorts was created in Kolkata when about 60,000 people took to the streets of the West Bengal capital on Saturday demanding resignation of Jadavpur University vice-chancellor even as West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi intervened to end the four-day old stalemate in the prestigious educational institution.
The 13 arrested in connection with the death of the Jadavpur University fresher allegedly due to ragging and sexual molestation at the hostel will not be allowed to either enter its premises or the campus, according to a decision by the varsity's executive council.
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was on Tuesday prevented by protesters from entering Jadavpur University to attend its annual convocation, following which he left the varsity premises. Protesters of the Trinamool Congress Employees' Union showed black flags to Dhankhar, who is the chancellor of the varsity, and blocked his car at gate number 5 of the campus at 10.30 am on Tuesday.
The Jadavpur University authorities on Monday appealed to the students to maintain normalcy and resume classes, but the students remained adamant on boycott of classes reiterating their demand for resignation of Vice-Chancellor Abhijit Chakraborty.
Refuting allegations of brutal lathi charge on Jadavpur university students, Kolkata police commissioner Surajit Kar Purakayastha on Thursday said the situation could have turned worse had the police not intervened as there were reports of armed miscreants entering the campus.
'It's the least I could do,' says Professor Soumitra Basu, head of the Philosophy department at Jadavpur University, who resigned to protest against the police violence last week.
'There is no discipline here -- only autocracy. The state is not governed by any democratic ideology. Democracy has ceased to exist here.'
Anant Prakash, one of the five students accused in the Jawaharlal Nehru University controversy, on Monday demanded University Vice-Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar take a 'courageous stand' and ensure that all charges against them are dropped.
'The easy availability of funds has enabled us to not only hire the best faculty, but has also made it possible for us to retain them with the best possible infrastructure -- labs, grants etc,' Ashoka University VC Malabika Sarkar tells Geetanjali Krishna.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances