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Jadavpur University incident: Thousands hold protest march in Kolkata; Governor claims everyone knows who is guilty

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Thousands of students, men and women from all walks of the life on Saturday marched through the streets of Kolkata braving heavy rains demanding an impartial probe into the police lathicharge on students of Jadavpur University (JU). They are also looking for resignation of the varsity's vice-chancellor. Students from Presidency University, Calcutta University and other educational institutions in the city joined those from JU for the march in a show of solidarity.

The march started from the state-run Nandan, the cultural hub of the city, and it was stopped near Meyo Road. A group of eight student representatives went to meet Governor KN Tripathi, who is also the JU chancellor. The meeting ended with the stalemate continuing.  The students remain adamant that they will not return to classes till the Vice Chancellor resigns. 

The governor has taken a proactive stand in the entire incident. He called state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee on September 18 and Police Commissioner Surajit Kar Purakayastha on September 19 to hear the government's version of the incident which rocked JU Campus. Just before meeting students, governor said to media that everyone knows what happed in JU Campus and who is responsible for it. 

In the rally which is still going on, the protesters raised slogans against the police, the varsity's Vice Chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti and the Trinamool Congress government. The march caused a gridlock in the central business district of the city. JU students have boycotted classes on their demand for the Vice Chancellor's resignation.

Students had gheraoed the JU Vice Chancellor, registrar and other members of the executive council on the intervening night of September 16 and 17 demanding a fresh probe panel to investigate the alleged sexual harassment of a girl student inside the campus on August 28.

The Vice Chancellor had said that he feared for his life and called the police, who intervened to break the gherao in the early hours of September 17, arresting 35 students. Many of the students alleged they were brutally beaten up by police inside the campus that night. Allegations of molestation was also leveled against police and goons which entered the campus. The students allege that the goons belong to the ruling party of the state, TMC. 

Asserting that the West Bengal government would not tolerate student indiscipline under any circumstances, state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee had said the impasse at JU could be solved through discussions and negotiations. The minister has said it was the Vice Chancellor who had sought police help for lifting the gherao and protecting university property.

Refuting allegations of the lathicharge on JU students, Kolkata Police Commissioner Surajit Kar Purakayastha had said on September 18 that the situation could have turned worse had police not intervened as there were reports of armed miscreants having entered the campus. 

There was high drama in the morning when JU website where a message showed vice chancellor Abhijit Chatterjee apologising. But the authorities claimed that their website was hacked and they have now decided to file a complaint in this matter. 

Read Also: Police crackdown, one mistake too many by Mamata Banerjee's government

With agency inputs

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