Kolkata: Union minister Babul Supriyo was shown black flags and allegedly heckled by a section of students at Jadavpur University (JU), where he had gone to address a seminar organised by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) – the student wing of the RSS. The incident was termed ‘serious matter’ by West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Babul Supriyo was initially stopped from entering the campus for around one-and-half hours by members of two Left-leaning organizations – Arts Faculty Students’ Union (AFSU) and the Students Federation of India (SFI), who raised slogans ‘Babul Supriyo Go Back’.
The BJP leader faced another round of protests while trying to leave the campus around 5.00pm. Sources said he is currently held up on the campus, with the protesting students blocking the way to his car.
“I did not come here to do politics. But I am saddened by the behaviour of some of the students of the university, the way they have heckled me. They pulled me by my hair and pushed me,” Baubul Supriyo, who attended the seminar amid heavy security, told reporters visiting the campus.
Describing the behaviour of the agitating students as ‘absolutely deplorable’, Supriyo alleged that the protesters were trying to ‘disturb peace’ at the institute by ‘instigating the students and seminar organisers to create a stampede-like situation’.
Sources said JU Vice-Chancellor Suranjan Das, who rushed to the spot on being informed about the incident, tried to reason with agitating students. But they refused to budge from the main entrance of the university.
“It was unfortunate. I will send a report on the incident to the Governor, who is also the Chancellor of the university,” Das said about the incident.
Meanwhile the Governor has asked the state Chief Secretary Malay De to take immediate action with regard to it the heckling of the Union Minister.
Late in the evening De said that the city Police Commissioner has been directed to look into it the matter immediately.
“The incident of gherao of Union Minister Babul Supriyo and others by a section of the students in Jadavpur University is a very serious matter. It shows an adverse reflection on the law and force agency in the state,” Jagdeep Dhankhar told this agency.
PTI