Union minister Babul Supriyo on September 19 was shown black flags and heckled by a section of students at Jadavpur University. The students had also stopped the singer turned politician from leaving the campus causing West Bengal governor – Jagdeep Dhankhar to rush the University with the police.

The students who participated in the protests cried out loud – fascist forces will not be allowed to enter the campus.

The governor dashed to the University to “rescue” the minister and was also met with demonstrations by the students belonging to SFI (Students’ Federation of India), Left-leaning AFSU (Arts Faculty Students Union) and FETSU (Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students Union) and AISA (All India Students Association), and few members of the TMCP (Trinamool Chhatra Parishad).

What Actually Happened?

Babul Supriyo was invited for a freshers party at K.P. Basu Auditorium near Gate No. 3 by ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) students. While other media reported that Babul Supriyo was gheraoed at the gate and was asked to leave, The Logical Indian spoke to a few students to understand the complete story.

A history post-graduate student while speaking to The Logical Indian said, “We never stopped Babul Supriyo’s car while he entered the campus. All the students were standing on the sidelines holding black flags.”

The student said the situation went out of hands when the minister stepped out of his car in front of the auditorium and spoke rudely to the vice-chancellor Suranjan Das in front of the students. “He called the VC a leftist”, said Shreya (name changed). She has been receiving death and rape threats for posting videos and status on Facebook.

While VC tried to escort Supriyo, the latter refused. Reports suggest that when Supriyo asked Das to call the police to control the situation, Das said that he would rather resign than call cops to the campus.

“VC who was not invited at the event, rushed to the spot to pacify agitated students and Babul Supriyo’s guard”, said Sarthak Guha, a masters student in sociology.

“During the brawl, our VC was badly hurt, and he had to be admitted to the hospital, such was the hooliganism of the guards and ABVP students”, added Guha.

While Supriyo tried leaving the campus, he was gheraoed once again by the students who demanded that he apologise.

“We were furious on the way a union minister treated us. He called us opponents. We just put a simple request in front of him to apologise to our students,” Shreya said, “Babul Supriyo did not apologise and rather argued with the students”.

Supriyo had a different story to tell. “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 heckled me. They pulled me by my hair and pushed me,” Supriyo told the media.

Supriyo said that the TMC government in the state would be held responsible for any eventuality.

“In the scuffle, Babul Supriyo mistreated students. He did not even leave girls. He told one girl that you are wearing a skirt above knee length, why would I listen to you,” Sarthak Guha added.

As the situation worsened, Supriyo called the governor – Jagdeep Dhankhar who is also the chancellor of the University, to rescue him.

Supriyo and Dhankhar left the campus at around 7:30 pm after the university teachers stepped in and persuaded the agitating students to lift their blockade.

“The incident is an adverse reflection on the law and enforcement agency in the state,” Dhankhar told media reporters.

ABVP Goons Made Entry Into College

The moment, Babul Supriyo left the campus with Dhankar from gate no 3, scores of people mostly affiliated with ABVP and BJP with sticks in hand started assembling outside the gate no. 4. Shouting ‘Jai Shree Ram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, the supporters were seen trying to force themselves through the locked gates.

“We heard people shouting from outside the campus and noticed black smoke bellowing. When we reached Gate 4, we saw ABVP supporters were pelting stones inside the campus and even hurled molotov cocktail inside the campus”, Guha said.

The goons burnt tyres, cycles and tried to knock down the gate of the campus. Several fire engines were rushed to the spot to douse the fire.

“The goons broke the small gate and entered the undergraduate arts building. They stomped inside the art building and vandalised classrooms and notice boards,” Shreya said.

ABVP supporters also attacked numerous students on their way inside the campus.

“When I reached gate no 4 to capture some cinematic shots for my documentary, I was thrashed by the goons,” Subhasish Christche, an independent filmmaker, said. “They identified me as the university student, grabbed me, and hit me. They even snatched my DSLR, monopod, and a boom mic,” said Christche who will undergo an MRI scan today.

Even after the situation was brought under control, ABVP supporters kept waiting for students outside the campus. “The students could not go home as ABVP goons were hiding in lanes to ambush the students,” Guha said.

Boys were beaten, girls were slapped by the goons and were forced to apologise, Guha added. He also said that three students were admitted to the hospitals.

A rally was organised from University to Golpark by all the student at 4 PM on Friday to condemn Thursday’s incident.  Other colleges like Xaviers, Presidency University, and some colleges under Calcutta University also took part.

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