Kolkata, March 1 West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu, on Saturday faced protests at Jadavpur University (JV) after he reached there to attend the annual general meeting of Trinamool Congress-affiliated West Bengal College and University Professors Association (WBCUPA).
As Basu reached the university premises, the students affiliated to CPI(M)’s student wing Students’ Federation of India (SFI), started protesting after surrounding him and demanding immediate election for the students’ council of JU.
A scuffle broke out between the agitating students and the associates of Basu, which resulted in total unrest within the university premises. The security personnel had a tough time escorting the minister back to his vehicle.
The vehicle of the minister as well as the escorting pilot car was damaged allegedly by the agitating students. The windscreen of the minister’s vehicle cracked, allegedly being hit by the protesting students.
The minister received minor injuries following the scuffle and also fell sick. He was then rushed to the state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata. At the time the report was filed, his condition was reported to be stable.
One of the agitating students was also injured severely after being hit by the minister’s vehicle.
SFI leadership alleged that the driver of the minister’s vehicle had deliberately hit the student following which he was injured severely. Two professors of the university were also injured in the scuffle.
Basu, who is also the president of WBCUPA, alleged that the attack on him was not just by the leftist students. “It was a joint action by the leftists, extreme leftists, and those students having affiliations to saffron forces,” he said.
However, the SFI leadership had claimed that it was outsiders accompanying the minister who started the ruckus by misbehaving with the students.
“We assembled peacefully in demand of the students’ council election at JU. We wanted to hand over a memorandum to the minister. But the goons affiliated to Trinamool Congress, who were accompanying the minister, attacked the students, following which the scuffles broke out,” said an SFI activist.
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