Supriyo 'heckled' at Jadavpur University, guv rushes to campus

Union minister Babul Supriyo was on Thursday shown black flags and allegedly heckled by a section of students at Jadavpur University, where he had gone to address a seminar organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) - the student wing of the RSS.

Supriyo was initially stopped from entering the campus for around one-and-half hours from 2.30 pm by members of Left-leaning organisations -- Arts Faculty Students' Union (AFSU) and Students Federation of India (SFI) -- who raised the slogan 'Babul Supriyo Go Back', varsity sources said.

The BJP leader is currently being held up on the campus, with the students blocking his way out.

"I did not come here to do politics. But I am saddened by the behaviour of some of the students of the university, the way they have heckled me... They pulled me by my hair and also pushed me," Supriyo, who attended the seminar amid heavy security, told reporters.

Describing the behaviour of the agitators as "absolutely deplorable", he alleged that they were trying to "disturb peace by instigating other students and seminar organisers to create a stampede-like situation".

Supriyo also claimed that the protesters tried to "provoke him by openly referring to themselves as naxals".

AFSU leader Debraj Debnath, who participated in the protest, asserted that "fascist forces" will not be allowed on the campus.

"We will not let the BJP, the RSS and the ABVP to spread their ideology in a liberal institute like JU."