Students take part in a protest against West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu over the alleged injuries of two protestors during the Education Minister’s visit to the campus on Monday, at Jadavpur University in Kolkata on March 3, 2025.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Protests at Jadavpur University continued for the third consecutive day on Wednesday (March 5, 2025), with students demanding action against alleged assaults on their peers and set a 4 p.m. deadline for vice-chancellor (VC) Bhaskar Gupta to address their grievances.
The agitating students warned of intensified protests if Mr. Gupta did not turn up on the campus to meet them within the stipulated time. They claimed that the VC and university authorities had shown no urgency to resolve the crisis.
“Vice-chancellor Bhaskar Gupta has not shown any courtesy or urgency to meet us. We have given a 4 p.m. deadline, after which we will decide the next course of action,” a protesting student from a Left-backed organisation said.
Police personnel guard as students of Jadavpur University, along with other students, take out a protest rally from Jadavpur University over the clash between students and the police during West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu to the university, in Kolkata on March 3, 2025. File
| Photo Credit:
PTI
The All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) staged protests, while several ultra-left student groups, including the Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF), called for demonstrations on Wednesday (March 5, 2025).
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the CPI(M), did not participate in Tuesday’s (March 4) strike but held separate demonstrations across the State.
The students’ demands include registering a hit-and-run case against Education Minister Bratya Basu, whose car allegedly hit Indranuj Roy, a student currently undergoing treatment.
They also called for withdrawal of police cases against students and the release of those arrested.
According to the protesters, seven cases have been registered in connection with the incident, including four against Mr. Indranuj Roy.
Additionally, the agitators demanded that the University bear the full cost of medical treatment for the injured students.
The SFI reiterated its demand for Mr. Basu’s resignation, accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress’s student wing (TMCP) and the ABVP of instigating violence on campus.
Amit Roy, father of the injured Indranuj Roy, acknowledged Mr. Basu’s outreach amid the ongoing turmoil.
He, however, said government action regarding the cases would reveal their true intentions, though the family believes the incident was an accident involving the Minister’s car.
Protests erupted following campus violence on March 1, when two students, including Mr. Indranuj Roy, were injured after a car in Mr. Basu’s convoy allegedly grazed past them during a melee.
The incident occurred as Left-leaning students attempted to prevent the Minister from leaving the campus, demanding discussions on the conduct of student union elections which were not held for years.
Mr. Basu himself sustained injuries when his car’s windshield was damaged during the protest.
Published – March 05, 2025 02:35 pm IST
