Stand-off between authorities & students at Jadavpur University, class boycott

The agitating students of the Jadavpur university on Friday boycotted classes for the second day and did not allow the registrar and pro vice-chancellor to enter their offices till 4.00 pm in protest against the police action on them two days ago.

The students claimed that they had finally allowed Registrar Pradip Ghosh and Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Siddhartha Datta to enter their offices after four pm only after they agreed to talk to them on their demands.

However, the two officials maintained that they had been allowed to attend their offices 'unconditionally'.

The students said, "We want a fair probe into the August 28 molestation case in the campus. They told us they will discuss all these things."

They have stuck to their call for an indefinite boycott of classes till vice chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti resigns as they hold him responsible for the police crackdown against them.

The registrar, whose resignation the students were demanding along with the vice-chancellor, told PTI, "I told them to withdraw their agitation so that normalcy can return to the campus. Good sense prevailed and they allowed me to enter my office unconditionally later in the day. I was sitting outside till then."

He said that the varsity authorities had always been open to discussions with the students. 

When contacted, Vice Chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti, who has been advised bed rest for 4-5 days by doctors, refused to comment.

State education minister Partha Chatterjee has warned the students saying the "politics of gherao" in educational institutions would not be tolerated and urged the agitators to take the path of discussion to resolve differences.