BJP approaches Bengal governor seeking Jadavpur VC's removal

The BJP Wednesday strongly condemned the police assault on students of Jadavpur University, and sought West Bengal governor and university chancellor K.N. Tripathi's intervention for the removal of the vice chancellor.

Many students had to be hospitalised and a few girl students were allegedly molested when police beat them up early Wednesday for laying siege to vice chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarty's office seeking a fresh inquiry into the purported sexual harassment of a female student.

State BJP president Rahul Sinha in a memorandum to the governor demanded the immediate removal of Chakrabarty as well as a probe into the alleged sexual harassment of a female student that took place earlier in August.

"Had he been a sensible one like his predecessors, the VC would have immediately assured the students and ordered an inquiry. Being a political appointee, he preferred to toe his political line and instead requested his party to send goons and police to clear him out," the BJP said in the memorandum.

"We, therefore, request you to ensure the immediate removal of the VC as well as investigation of the 10 criminals who earlier molested the girl student," it said.

The incident has been widely slammed by political parties, teachers and eminent personalities and the demand for Chakrabarty's removal is growing.

Trinamool Congress leader and state Urban Development Minister Frihad Hakim admitted the police's excess saying they ought have been "more restrained".

While 35 students were arrested but later released, some students filed a police complaint against the vice chancellor for the alleged molestation of girls during the police crackdown.