Will uproot anti-nationals from JU campus: CM Adhikari
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday warned the forces raising the “free Kashmir” slogan inside the Jadavpur University campus, saying he would uproot such elements in the days to come.
Adhikari, who led a massive 3-km Gerua Sanman Yatra from Golpark to the JU gate, joined by hundreds of monks, seers and BJP workers, said there was no place for anti-national elements inside the campus and those raising slogans demanding “freedom for Kashmir” would be uprooted. “We will not allow anti-national elements to flourish in the University campus... The forces raising slogans like ‘Kashmir mange azadi’ will be uprooted,” he said, adding he knows “how to teach lessons to those people who insult Gerua (the Saffron flag).”
The Chief Minister earlier said that general political slogans like Inquilab Zindabad (long live revolution) or those criticising the Government policies were allowed to be raised. Jadavpur University campus is usually dominated by the Left students’ unions.
In a related development, the Chief Minister also said that the Government was proposing to bring a Bill on higher education. According to sources, the Bill could include provisions regarding transfer of college and university teachers. The Left opposition promptly questioned Adhikari’s intentions, saying the Bill was aimed at victimising the college and university teachers for their ideological leanings.
“The Chief Minister earlier had threatened to teach the Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) a lesson... By armtwisting them because they have been firmly standing behind the students... But this ploy of the Government will not be successful... Instead of further improving the quality of the University, which is already bringing international laurels, the Government is playing saffron politics ... They will not be successful in their designs... The people will reject their game plan anyway,” said Srijan Bhattacharya, national president of Students Federation of India, a CPI(M) students’ arm. The JU imbroglio started following a midnight ruckus inside the university campus when Left-wing students and alleged ABVP supporters clashed inside the campus.
