Not our tradition to file FIR against students: Jadhavpur VC

Jadavpur University Vice Chancellor Suranjan Das, who called on West Bengal Governor K.N. Tripathi amid the row over pro-Afzal guru slogans at the varsity, said on Friday, that he was against filing the First Information Report against any student as the varsity has always stood for freedom of expression and autonomy.

"It is not in Jadhavpur's tradition to file FIRs against the students. The chancellor had asked me to send a report and obviously I will send the report on lines he has asked for. On Monday, we have an executive council meeting in which we will discuss the whole matter," Das told reporters here.

"I have also impressed upon the chancellor that Jadhavpur University has a particular tradition to ensure that the university remains a place for debate and discussion, and we will maintain that tradition. It has a tradition of autonomy, we will maintain that autonomy. Whatever needs to be done, will be done in accordance with rules, regulations and conventions," he added.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has filed a PIL in the Calcutta High Court demanding NIA probe on the issue of anti-national slogans in Jadavpur University.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) earlier sought a report from the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) Government in West Bengal over the protest by Jadavpur University students.

The ongoing protests in Delhi against the crackdown on the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) seems to have reached Jadavpur University with students of varsity taking out a torch rally and raising slogans against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

The students, affiliated to various Left Parties, took to the streets in Kolkata to protest the alleged police atrocities inside the JNU campus.