A day after the police action on agitating students a West Bengal’s Jadavpur University created a furore Kolkata Police Commissioner Surajit Kar Purkayastha and State’s Education Minister Partha Chatterjee justified the police action here on Thursday.
While Mr. Kar Purkayastha said that the police exercised “extreme restraint” and “acted as per law and call of duty” Mr Chatterjee said that police action was to restore order at the University.
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“We also had information that outsiders mingled with students and some outsiders were hovering in and around campus and they were also armed with certain weapons,” Mr Kar Purkayashta said, adding that since situation was not getting diluted despite repeated attempts and eventually the police escorted the authorities out of campus.
Both the Commissioner and the Minister denied any lathi charge by the police on the protesting students.
“If the police does not act they questions are raised about police’s inaction and when it acts then it said that police is indulging in excess,” Mr Chatterjee said.
While the Commissioner during a press conference played video footage of the incident where the students in large numbers are seen clinging to the main door of University’s administrative building the Minister also referred to video footage aired by particular channel that presented a situation entirely different from what was claimed by students.
However, the footage aired by several television channels and videos captured by students on their mobile phones showed police dragging the students and slapping them while trying to disperse them from the main entrance.
Mr Kar Purakayashtha said that the Jadavpur University Vice Chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti who was holed up in the administrative building had made requisition to the police and given repeated distress calls.
“Who would have taken the responsibility if an untoward incident had occurred and the police had chosen not to intervene despite authorities having requisitioned for it? “ Mr Kar Purakayastha asked.
Accusing the students that they do not want justice for the female students who had alleged molestation Mr Chatterjee said by indulging in such protests the students are delaying the process of investigation in the case. The students protests that erupted into siege on Tuesday of the main administrative building was for having an external member in the inquiry committee probing the molestation incident.
The clarification given by the Commissioner and Minister did not have many takers in the University’s student community who brought out another rally on the second consecutive day.
Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi who is also the Chancellor of the University summoned Education Minister Partha Chaterjee and other officials. A public interest litigation was filed in the High Court seeking Court’s intervention in the affairs of the University.