Presidency students continue protests, government backs VC

A section of Presidency University students continued to demonstrate inside Vice Chancellor Anuradha Lohia's office for the fourth day on Monday, demanding her resignation claiming non-action during an alleged police assault last week.

However, classes went on according to schedule, as the protests seemed to be losing steam and West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said he is keeping tabs on the students' protests at the prestigious varsity.

The minister asserted that the vice chancellor, who was kept under confinement for over a day, will remain in charge.

"I am keeping an eye on everything. Anuradha Lohia is the vice chancellor now and will remain so," Chatterjee told the media here.

Lohia on Saturday stood firm on her decision to not quit, and said Governor K.N. Tripathi supported her stand, after some students confined her on Friday night.

The students have been agitating, saying many of them were roughed up by police during the Friday visit of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to the College street campus of the university.

The students also called for a boycott of the university's third convocation on Saturday. However, the event took place without any interruption.

On Friday, the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad -- the students' wing of the ruling Trinamool Congress -- took out a rally in the city denouncing the Presidency agitation.

Meanwhile, opposition parties have slammed the Trinamool for interfering in education in the state.