Agitating students again gherao BCKV vice-chancellor

Agitating students gheraoed the vice-chancellor of Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV) in West Bengal's Nadia district Thursday evening, for the second time in a week.

Demanding the resignation of VC Dharani Dhar Patra, the students were on dharna outside his chamber.

"We will continue our agitation till the VC resigns," said a leader of the students who formed an organisation named 'Chalo Paltai' (Let's make a change).

The students earlier gheraoed him for 24 hours in his office on September 7. They also blocked a road Wednesday alleging that they were attacked by outsiders inside the campus the previous night.

The agitating students were demonstrating inside the campus since September 7 demanding the removal of Dean (Agriculture) Srikanth Das and Dean Students Welfare (DSW) Goutam Chakraborty for some alleged irregularities.

Earlier in the day, the students burnt the effigies of the VC and the two Deans in the campus and a section of the teachers also held a meeting supporting them.

The VC then held a meeting with the students, teachers and other officials of the university.

BCKV officials said it was decided in the meeting that the two teachers would be removed as Deans as demanded by the students.

It was also decided that a high-level committee would be formed to probe the alleged irregularities and the attack on students inside the campus.

Besides, the officials said, the meeting took the decision to remove the private security in-charge of the university campus.

The students then demanded that the VC said would have to be on leave till the committee submits its report, claiming that the incidents could not have happened without his knowledge, the officials said.

As Patra turned down the demand, they gheraoed him.