TMC slams Guv over visit to Jadavpur University

Ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday expressed "shock" over Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar's visit to Jadavpur University to bring Union Minister Babul Supriyo who was allegedly heckled by a section of students and strongly opposed his comment calling the incident a "reflection of law and order situation".

In a statement, the TMC said that the Governor, the custodian of the Constitution in the State, visited the campus without informing the "elected government" to "so-called rescue" of the BJP leader".

"This is most unfortunate and shocking that our Governor, the custodian of the Constitution of the State, without informing the elected government went to the so-called rescue of the BJP leader from Jadavpur University," it said.

The party said the police were waiting outside the university but were unable to enter in the absence of any communication from the VC.

The TMC said: "Governor went there without taking the state government into confidence. On his way, he rang up the CM who requested him several times that the Governor being the constitutional head need not go at this moment. The CM requested him to give the government some time to peacefully solve the issue. But instead of taking the government into confidence, the Governor went there to help BJP."

The ruling party took exception to the Governor releasing a press statement in which he said the incident was "a very serious reflection on the law and order in the state".

It said that the "BJP and ABVP goons" resorted to vandalism in the university campus and said the Governor did not offer any comments on it.

"We strongly oppose his political views. Neither TMC nor police are involved in the incident. It is absolutely with BJP and Leftist union students versus BJP leader. So the question of law and order does not arise. The state police facilitated in taking the BJP leader and the Governor out of the troubled spot," it said.

Meanwhile, the SFI has called for a statewide protest over the incident.

Supriyo was allegedly heckled by a section of students and was forced by Students' Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students Association (AISA) members to remain in university campus, where he had gone to participate in an event organised by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS.