TMC Lambastes Governor For 'Partisan Approach', Says He Went To JU Without Informing Government

The Trinamool Congress on Thursday slammed Governor Jagdeep Dhankar for his "partisan approach" in blaming the West Bengal government for the Jadavpur University fiasco in which Union Minister Babul Supriyo was allegedly roughed up by varsity students. Terming it "unfortunate and shocking", TMC secretary general and Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said that Dhankar went to the JU campus without informing the state government.

He said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had requested Dhankar not to go there and give the government some time to control the situation but he overlooked her advice and went there "to help the BJP".

"(The) governor went there without taking the State Government into confidence. On his way, he rang up the CM," Chatterjee said. "CM requested him several times that the Governor, being the constitutional head, need not go at this moment... The CM requested him to give the government some time to peacefully solve the issue. But, instead of taking the government into confidence, the Governor went there to help BJP," the education minister said.

The statement from the TMC leader came hours after Union Minister Babul Supriyo was shown black flags and allegedly heckled by the students of Kolkata's famous Jadavpur University. The students also gheraoed him and stopped him from leaving the campus, prompting Dhankar to visit the campus with a large police force.

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"This is most unfortunate and shocking that our Governor, the custodian of the Constitution of the State, without informing the elected government, went to the so-called rescue of the BJP leader from Jadavpur University," Chatterjee said in a statement.

BJP leader Babul Supriyo went there to attend the BJP students' wing program without informing the Govt even," he said. Terming the incident "unfortunate", Chatterjee said: "The state police was waiting outside the university, but were unable to enter in the absence of any communication from the VC (vice-chancellor)."

The TMC leader questioned the Dhankar's statement where he said "this is a very serious reflection on the law and order in the state" and questioned the Governor's silence on the vandalism allegedly perpetrated by the BJP and ABVP "goons" in the Jadavpur University campus on Thursday.

"We strongly oppose his political views," Chatterjee said, adding that neither the TMC students' wing nor the police were involved in the incident, which he said was between the Left students' union versus the BJP and Supriyo.

Meanwhile, Supriyo alleged that students of Jadavpur University "pulled his hairs and punched him. He said he didn't expect this and added that if the students have any questions, they should have debated it.

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“I was severely thrashed, my hair was pulled and I was punched and kicked. This is totally unexpected from students of Jadavpur University. If they have any problem with me coming here then they should have debated the matter. They should not have assaulted me. They cannot stop me from going anywhere. I did not expect this. This is the state of the education system in West Bengal,” the BJP leader told reporters.

(With inputs from news agency PTI)