The Crossbill Team
The Left Front, led by CPI(M) state secretary Comrade Md Salim and other leaders, staged a protest march from Sukanta Setu to Jadavpur Police Station on Sunday, condemning the attack on protesting students at Jadavpur University by Trinamool-backed miscreants.
The demonstrators held Education Minister Bratya Basu responsible for instigating the violence and demanded his immediate resignation.
On Saturday, student protests erupted at Jadavpur University during Bratya Basu’s visit, leading to chaos on campus. A widely circulated video on social media purportedly showed a vehicle from the minister’s convoy running over a student before speeding away. Instead of ensuring the injured student's safety, the convoy allegedly fled the scene without assessing the situation.
The protest was led by members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of CPI(M), along with other Left-affiliated student groups. Their primary demand was the immediate conduct of student union elections at the university. The protesting students alleged that one of their fellow demonstrators was grievously injured by a vehicle in the minister’s convoy.
Attempts were made to file an FIR against Bratya Basu, but students claimed that police delayed the process on technical grounds.
During Sunday’s protest, young CPI(M) leader Minakshi Mukherjee launched a scathing attack on the education minister, questioning the long-standing delay in holding student body elections in West Bengal's colleges and universities.
“For a long time, there have been no student union elections in the state’s educational institutions. No one knows the reason behind it. The education minister must answer this. He cannot shy away from it,” Mukherjee said.
She asserted that students have every right to demand democratic elections on campuses. “If the state government were empathetic, sensitive, and democratic, the education minister would have engaged in a discussion with the students instead of resorting to repression,” she added.
Statewide Campus Strike by SFI
In response to the Jadavpur University incident, the SFI called for a statewide strike on university campuses on Monday, demanding Bratya Basu’s resignation. The strike saw significant participation in Jadavpur University and Presidency University, where campuses remained largely deserted. Most students, faculty, and staff refrained from attending, while SFI activists ensured enforcement.
Other institutions, including Calcutta University, Rabindra Bharati University, North Bengal University, and Burdwan University, saw a partial impact, with some classes suspended.
However, semester examinations proceeded as scheduled.
The strike did not disrupt vehicular movement, and the ongoing West Bengal Class 12 board examinations continued without hindrance.
SFI state committee member Shuvajit Sarkar accused the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) of provoking violence on the Jadavpur University campus.
He alleged that “outsiders sheltered by the TMC” were responsible for the vandalism and that students had merely sought a discussion with the minister in the presence of the vice-chancellor. However, Basu reacted “high-handedly” and attempted to leave in haste.
“As students tried to engage him in dialogue, he, along with TMC-backed goons, boarded his car and ordered the driver to accelerate, disregarding the safety of protesters. Two students were injured, one seriously, yet Basu did not stop to check on them,” Sarkar claimed.
The SFI has demanded Bratya Basu’s immediate resignation and legal action against him for his alleged role in escalating tensions on campus. Sarkar also assured that SFI activists would assist in ensuring the smooth conduct of the ongoing higher secondary examinations by setting up help desks near examination centers.
With student unrest intensifying, the confrontation between Left-affiliated student bodies and the ruling TMC’s student wing signals a deepening political battle on Bengal’s university campuses.
The demonstrators held Education Minister Bratya Basu responsible for instigating the violence and demanded his immediate resignation.
On Saturday, student protests erupted at Jadavpur University during Bratya Basu’s visit, leading to chaos on campus. A widely circulated video on social media purportedly showed a vehicle from the minister’s convoy running over a student before speeding away. Instead of ensuring the injured student's safety, the convoy allegedly fled the scene without assessing the situation.
The protest was led by members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of CPI(M), along with other Left-affiliated student groups. Their primary demand was the immediate conduct of student union elections at the university. The protesting students alleged that one of their fellow demonstrators was grievously injured by a vehicle in the minister’s convoy.
Attempts were made to file an FIR against Bratya Basu, but students claimed that police delayed the process on technical grounds.
During Sunday’s protest, young CPI(M) leader Minakshi Mukherjee launched a scathing attack on the education minister, questioning the long-standing delay in holding student body elections in West Bengal's colleges and universities.
“For a long time, there have been no student union elections in the state’s educational institutions. No one knows the reason behind it. The education minister must answer this. He cannot shy away from it,” Mukherjee said.
She asserted that students have every right to demand democratic elections on campuses. “If the state government were empathetic, sensitive, and democratic, the education minister would have engaged in a discussion with the students instead of resorting to repression,” she added.
Statewide Campus Strike by SFI
In response to the Jadavpur University incident, the SFI called for a statewide strike on university campuses on Monday, demanding Bratya Basu’s resignation. The strike saw significant participation in Jadavpur University and Presidency University, where campuses remained largely deserted. Most students, faculty, and staff refrained from attending, while SFI activists ensured enforcement.
Other institutions, including Calcutta University, Rabindra Bharati University, North Bengal University, and Burdwan University, saw a partial impact, with some classes suspended.
However, semester examinations proceeded as scheduled.
The strike did not disrupt vehicular movement, and the ongoing West Bengal Class 12 board examinations continued without hindrance.
SFI state committee member Shuvajit Sarkar accused the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) of provoking violence on the Jadavpur University campus.
He alleged that “outsiders sheltered by the TMC” were responsible for the vandalism and that students had merely sought a discussion with the minister in the presence of the vice-chancellor. However, Basu reacted “high-handedly” and attempted to leave in haste.
“As students tried to engage him in dialogue, he, along with TMC-backed goons, boarded his car and ordered the driver to accelerate, disregarding the safety of protesters. Two students were injured, one seriously, yet Basu did not stop to check on them,” Sarkar claimed.
The SFI has demanded Bratya Basu’s immediate resignation and legal action against him for his alleged role in escalating tensions on campus. Sarkar also assured that SFI activists would assist in ensuring the smooth conduct of the ongoing higher secondary examinations by setting up help desks near examination centers.
With student unrest intensifying, the confrontation between Left-affiliated student bodies and the ruling TMC’s student wing signals a deepening political battle on Bengal’s university campuses.
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