Kolkata: The main opposition BJP staged a walkout, as the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Tuesday witnessed uproarious scenes over the mysterious death of an undergraduate student in the Jadavpur University’s main hostel here.
State Education Minister Bratya Basu, while responding to BJP’s allegation that the student died because of gross
irregularities, blamed Governor CV Ananda Bose for the present situation in the famed varsity.
Basu alleged that the Governor was “100 percent responsible”‘ for the present situation for the way he appointed interim Vice-Chancellors without consulting the state government.
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari while raising the issue of the death of the first year Bengali Honours student,
alleged “rampant irregularities and illegal activities” in the campus and sought to know what steps the government was taking to stop the recurrence of such an unfortunate incident.
Replying to the opposition’s charge, state higher education minister Bratya Basu put the blame on the governor, leading to howls of protests from the BJP legislators, who walked out of the House.
Basu said a five-member team is looking into the student’s death.
“We met the family, we cannot bring back the boy, but we are taking steps,” he assured.
“We have a Governor, who is appointing University Vice-Chancellors without holding any consultation with the state government, The state government can send orders but the university authorities have to implement them. Why did the Governor appoint a Vice-Chancellor and remove a Vice-Chancellor? The Governor is 100 percent responsible.”
On the Leader of the Opposition’s remarks on alcohol and contraband on campus, Basu said, “The Opposition leader is questioning the prevalence of contraband and alcohol at the university. NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau – a central government agency) is responsible for preventing the spread of contraband.”
The Minister said the cases of ragging have continued despite court orders and such incidents are reported at the central government-run IITs too.
Speaking to the reporters later, Basu said it is for the university authority to take steps such as installing CCTV cameras. “Why should the government be a moral judge? We can send them guidelines that you cannot drink or smoke on campus or to set up cameras. But the university authority has to do it,” he said
Later, Adhikari addressed a media conference and said he sought to know the steps being taken by the government to “end the consumption of alcoholic substances and anti-national activities in the university”.
He alleged that the varsity is a hub of anti-national elements like Maoists, who attacked him when he visited the campus to express solidarity with the students, who wanted to end ragging in the campus.
Referring to radical left politics, Adhikari alleged that “There is an ultra mindset in the university, and it has become a bastion of such thinking.”
He pointed out that in the 2021 state Assembly poll, the slogan “No vote to BJP” originated from the campus, and it would be raised again in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll. UNI
BJP stages walkout in Bengal Assembly over JU student’s death is added by Agencies on View all posts by Agencies →
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