India News | Academicians Condemn Attack on Minister in JU Campus, VCs Demand Probe
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. A group of present and former vice-chancellors of West Bengal's universities condemned the "heinous" attack on state Education Minister Bratya Basu in Jadavpur University, demanding a thorough and impartial probe to ensure strict punishment for those responsible.
Kolkata, Mar 5 (PTI) A group of present and former vice-chancellors of West Bengal's universities condemned the "heinous" attack on state Education Minister Bratya Basu in Jadavpur University, demanding a thorough and impartial probe to ensure strict punishment for those responsible.
They also dismissed allegations that Basu's car had deliberately run over a student, citing video evidence to the contrary.
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Protests erupted on March 1 when two students were injured after a car in Basu's convoy allegedly grazed past them during a melee.
The incident occurred as Left-leaning students attempted to prevent the minister from leaving the campus, demanding discussions on the conduct of student union elections which were not held for several years.
In a joint statement, the vice-chancellors and ex-VCs termed the assault on the minister "heinous and completely unacceptable."
"Violence has no place in an academic institution. We strongly condemn the attack on the Education Minister, faculty members, and students. Such acts must be investigated thoroughly, and the culprits should face strict punishment," the statement read.
Basu himself sustained injuries when his car's windshield was damaged during the protest. He came to the university to attend a meeting of WBCUPA, a TMC-affiliated professors' organisation.
Amid the escalating unrest, Basu personally called up the family of Indranuj Roy, one of the two injured students, on Tuesday and expressed regret over the incident.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)