Babul Held Hostage: West Bengal Governor slams Mamata government

The West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday has slammed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Secretary-General Partha Chatterjee for accusing the Governor of entering the Jadavpur University without informing the State. The TMC Secretary in a press release on Thursday has stated that the Governor did not inform the Government and has not taken the State Government into confidence before making the visit.

The Union Minister Babul Supriyo on Thursday had visited the Jadavpur University to attend an ABVP event where he was allegedly assaulted by the students who heckled him inside the University. Governor Dhankhar stepped in to take up the issue of the gherao of the Union Minister. Today, both the SFI and the ABVP had called for protests on the Jadavpur University violence.

In the reply to the TMC's press release, the Governor said, "My visit was rendered imperative as the Vice-Chancellor and the pro-Vice Chancellor had left the University while the Union Minister Shri Babool Supriyo continued to be detained by the agitating students/persons there. In his capacity as Chancellor, being the guardian of the students, he took the call so as to connect with the students in the interest of education and institution."

READ | Babul Supriyo Assaulted In Jadavpur, Says 'don't Rusticate, File Case'

He also claimed that the stand in the press release of the TMC was factually incorrect. Governor said that the TMC Secretary was not completely aware of the development that was taking place in the issue. He said, "As a final step before going, the Governor/Chancellor took initiative in connecting with the Hon’ble Chief Minister, West Bengal, and duly apprised her of the grave situation and the consequences it may entail.  There were many telephonic interactions between the two and in his high regard that the Governor/Chancellor has for the Hon’ble CM, personally and for the Office the CM holds, and I would not like to divulge the conversation between the two, except that I had left for the place after sufficient time had elapsed and the situation did not show any change."

READ | Babul Supriyo Gheraoed At Jadavpur University, WB Guv Dials Mamata

Lockdown in Jadavpur University campus

MP Babul Supriyo on Thursday was invited by the ABVP members to speak at an event at the University. When he tried to enter the campus for the event, he was blocked by many students, many of whom were members of CPM-backed Students Federation of India (SFI). They gheraoed him and had a verbal confrontation mainly over the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Matters turned worse as Babul Supriyo was stuck inside the campus for at least three hours. He sat on the media OB Van bonnet. The West Bengal Governor and the CRPF rushed to the University and the Kolkata police too were outside the gate with its force. The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Suranjan Das, was allegedly attacked in the face-off and has been hospitalised.

READ | Jadavpur: 'Mamata Told Guv Don't Intervene,' Alleges Babul Supriyo

READ | Gheraoed, Babul Supriyo Cites Mohan Bagan-East Bengal To Hammer Logic