Kolkata, March 12 (IANS) Amid the continuing crisis and tension in Kolkata’s Jadavpur University over the ruckus within the university campus on March 1, the Kolkata Police, on Wednesday, sent a communique to the university authorities seeking space within the campus to set up a police outpost there.
The university authorities have confirmed the receipt of the communique from the city police and also claimed that any decision following allowing the setting up of a police outpost within the campus has not been reached as yet.
However, admitted JU insiders, implementing the proposal for setting up a police outpost within the campus will not be an easy task since the responsibility of maintaining order within any campus rests with the educational institution authority concerned.
“That is why the education institution authorities generally avoid the entry of cops within the campus to the best possible extent. In such a situation any decision to set up police outposts within the university is bound to face resistance not just from the students but also from a section of the teaching staff here,” said a faculty member of Jadavpur University, who requested anonymity.
Already the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the CPI-M student wing, have objected to the proposal from the city police for setting up a police outpost within the Jadavpur University campus.
According to SFI’s State Secretary Debanjan Dey, instead of controlling the outsiders who had been threatening the students, the police now want to keep the students under constant monitoring.
“We doubt that the proposed police outpost is aimed at ensuring that the tension within the campus continues instead of settling down. That is the main intention of the state administration,” Dey said.
The ruckus broke out within the Jadavpur University campus on Saturday when the State Education Minister Bratya Basu’s car was allegedly stopped after it entered the campus, and a scuffle followed.
The students were demanding immediate elections for the university’s students’ council.
The protesting students alleged that while Minister Basu decided to leave the campus in the aftermath of the protests, his vehicle deliberately hit two protesting students, following which they were severely injured and had to be hospitalised.
Amid the protests, the Minister received minor injuries and fell sick. He was taken to the state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College and Hospital and was discharged later.
–IANS
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