Jadavpur University plunged into chaos on Saturday night as tensions, already heightened by day-long protests, flared up once again.
Around 10 PM, smoke was suddenly spotted billowing from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) affiliated Shikshabandhu office within the university premises. The incident sparked immediate concern, especially with a transformer situated perilously close to the room that was consumed by flames.
University staff initially attempted to extinguish the fire before alerting the fire department. A fire engine was promptly dispatched, and the blaze was eventually brought under control. The room was completely gutted. Authorities fear that if the fire had reached the transformer, the consequences could have been catastrophic.
The university authorities suspect the office was set ablaze by protesting students.
In a separate incident, Vice Chancellor of the university Bhaskar Gupta, who visited KPC Medical College and Hospital to meet two injured students late at night, faced intense hostility. Meanwhile, outside the institution, police forces have been deployed to manage the situation, yet the campus interior remains without a police presence.
The unrest started on Saturday afternoon when a volatile situation erupted around the annual meeting of the pro-TMC professors' organisation held on campus. Education minister Bratya Basu was in attendance. As the meeting progressed, a parallel protest by university students demanding student union elections intensified. Although the minister initially agreed to a dialogue, tensions soared when he proposed to meet only two representatives each from the CPI(M) students wing SFI. The SFI students, insisting that about 40 of their representatives be allowed to voice their concerns, were allegedly blocked, igniting a confrontation.
The scene quickly spiraled out of control as the minister attempted to leave. His convoy was attacked, leaving both sides injured. A particularly alarming incident occurred when a student was reportedly run over by the minister’s car, escalating the outrage among protesters. In the aftermath, the Trinamool students' office on campus was vandalized, with all its contents left in ruins.
Also read: Bengal: Edu min injured during student protest at JU
SFI responded by announcing a student strike on Monday, condemning what they described as a "barbaric incident" involving the education minister’s convoy. Their posters, which call for a strike across all colleges and universities in Bengal, demand accountability and harsh punishment for those responsible.
Indranuj Roy, an undergraduate student from the English department, was among those injured. Speaking from his hospital bed, Roy recounted the ordeal, stating, "We were preparing to talk to Bratya Basu when the TMC supporters began pushing and beating us to rush him into his car. As the car started moving, we tried to stop it, shouting for it to halt. Instead, it accelerated, and we were forced to run backward. I fell, and the wheel went over my eyes and legs." At least seven to eight students were reportedly injured, with two currently undergoing treatment.
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