 "'Azad Kashmir', 'Free Palestine' graffiti at Jadavpur University sparks row")
Graffiti with slogans such as ‘Azad Kashmir’ and ‘Free Palestine’ appeared on the Jadavpur University campus, sparking controversy. The identity of those responsible remains unknown.
Additionally, students and faculty raised objections to the alleged presence of plainclothes police personnel on campus on Monday. The officers reportedly arrived around 1 pm and stayed until classes concluded in the afternoon, news agency PTI reported.
Leader of CPI(M)-backed Students’ Federation of India, Souryadipto Roy said students were outraged after noticing the presence of plainclothes police officers and raised slogans demanding an end to what they called intimidation by the ruling TMC and state administration. “We refuse to participate in any discussion with the university administration till police personnel leave,” he said.
Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) General Secretary Partha Pratim Roy said, “We don’t welcome the presence of police on the campus, uniformed or in plain dress. We and the students had information about the presence of several police personnel in civil dress...”
Student and faculty reactions
The graffiti, painted in black, was spotted near the university’s gate number three on Monday, though it remains unclear who was responsible.
Kishalay Roy, president of the university’s Trinamool Chhatra Parishad unit, alleged, “Some ultra-Left student outfits are behind this and more such graffiti can be spotted if one goes around the sprawling campus.”
Meanwhile, SFI’s Jadavpur University unit leader Abhinaba Basu said, “We don’t support secessionist views though we are against the repression of minorities in BJP-ruled states.” Om Prakash Mishra, a senior faculty member associated with a TMC-leaning academic forum, said, “We are against any poster and graffiti which support secessionist views.”
Student injured during protest
The university has been witnessing protests for the past few days following an incident on March 1, when two students were injured. The injuries allegedly occurred when the car of West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu, along with another vehicle, grazed past them during a left-backed demonstration. Following this, an FIR was registered against Basu and professor-turned-TMC leader Om Prakash Mishra in connection with the incident.
Mishra faces protests on return to campus
Upon Mishra’s arrival on campus for the first time since the March 1 incident, some Left-affiliated students greeted him with slogans like “BJP-TMC dictatorship se azadi” and “go back”, the report said.
Students submit demands to the university
During the ongoing protests, students presented a list of demands to university officials, which included holding student union elections and ensuring campus safety.
“We hope classes will fully resume from Tuesday,” said JUTA general secretary Partha Pratim Roy. Meanwhile, a senior university official clarified that the administration had not summoned the police to the campus and was unaware of their presence inside. However, authorities acknowledged that police personnel had been stationed outside the campus since March 1 to monitor the situation.
[With agency inputs]