Students' protest at JU had political background: Chakrabarti

Alleging that the students' protest at Jadavpur University was political in nature, outgoing Vice Chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti today said he didn't step down under any political pressure.
"I have no political affiliations and I have not decided to resign under any political pressure but in the best interest of the university since I have failed to instill discipline in JU," Chakrabarti said.
Questioning the nature of protests against him, which continued for four months and ended only after the VC's resignation, Chakrabarti said, "Were those protesting apolitical? Possibly no. Persons behind the agitation were all political and they were doing political calculations as to how they will benefit from the protests."

He said universities and the education system had been a victim of politicisation for a long time and he had not succumbed to the agitation, but his resignation was a mark of protest against such "anarchism perpetrated by the agitating students and unfortunately by the teachers who are members of JUTA (Jadavpur University Teachers Association)".
The students had gheraoed the VC, Registrar and others on the intervening night of September 16 and 17 last year demanding a fresh probe panel to investigate the alleged sexual harassment of a girl student on the campus on August 28 last year.
The VC had said he feared for his life and called the police who intervened to break the gherao and arrested 35 students.

Many of the students alleged they were brutally beaten up by the police inside the campus at night.