WB: Minister blames Governor for JU student death, BJP stages walkout from Assembly

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], August 22 (ANI): Uproarious scenes unfolded in West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday after state Education Minister Bratya Basu laid the blame for the student death at Jadavpur University (JU) on Governor CV Ananda Bose.

The minister also linked the case with the ongoing tussle between the Raj Bhavan and the Trinamool Congress government over the appointment of vice-chancellors of state universities.

Protests erupted in the Opposition benches as the minister dragged the Governor into the student death case and the BJP MLAs staged a walkout from the House.

A first-year undergraduate student, Swarnodip Kundu, died after falling from the second-floor balcony of the varsity’s main hostel on August 9.

His family alleged that he was a victim of ragging, evoking condemnation and outrage across the state.

Hitting back at the minister over his remark in the Assembly, BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul told ANI, “How can the Governor be responsible (for the JU incident)? He only took charge recently while (Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee and the TMC have been in power for 12 years. Were they not aware that ragging was going on unabated at Jadavpur University? Students, who passed out from the university five years ago, are still occupying hostel rooms. Didn’t they know all this?”

Claiming that the Trinamool government only knows how to shift the blame on others, the BJP MLA added, “That’s what Education Minister Bratya Basu did inside the Assembly today.”

She said, “If they have courage, let them brief the House on what measures have been taken to boost security on campus following the JU incident. But they won’t as they know that they have done nothing.”

Meanwhile, the Education minister, at a meeting earlier in the day, said vice-chancellors of universities should have at least 10 years of experience in their chosen fields. 

“The Governor has been employing a pick-and-choose method to select vice-chancellors. Who are these VCs (being picked by the Governor)? Some are being brought from outside Bengal, some are saying they are retired IAS officers while some others are saying they are retired judges. A vice-chancellor should have at least 10 years of experience in his or her chosen field,” the TMC spokesperson said. 

As many as 12 people have been arrested in connection with the JU student death case to date.

Earlier, a four-member fact-finding committee was formed by the state government in light of the student’s death. The committee was asked to submit its report within two weeks.