Bengal rights panel rejects complaint against governor

The West Bengal Human Rights Commission Friday rejected a rights group's complaint against Governor M.K. Narayanan for making "provocative remarks against students".

A full bench of the commission, headed by its chairman Justice (retd.) Asok Kumar Ganguly rejected Association for Protection of Democratic Rights' (APDR) complaint and observed there was no possible violation of human rights and as such the matter doesn't warrant the panel's intervention.

"We feel that educational institutions must be protected from any kind of outrage by any act of indiscipline by students. Moreover, the governor's comments enjoy constitutional immunity," a commission official said here.

Narayanan, while reacting to two incidents of students assaulting teachers inside colleges in the state, Aug 31 said "students should be beaten up".

The APDR subsequently approached the rights panel seeking a public apology from the governor, saying Narayanan's remarks were "proactive and he being a former policeman, it may tend police to beat up students".

Expressing disappointment at rejection of its complaint, the APDR is mulling to approach the National Human Rights Commission.

"We are extremely disappointed by the commission's decision. We are mulling to approach the NHRC," said APDR secretariat member Ranjit Sur.