A gathering of the West Bengal University Karmachari Parishad, an organization of university employees affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), took place at Aurobindo Bhavan, the administrative building of Jadavpur University (JU), on Wednesday. The event was held to celebrate the BJP's victory in the recent Assembly elections.
Demands for action against anti-national elements
Members of the Parishad expressed concerns about the state of education at JU and called for the elimination of anti-national activities from the campus. They emphasized the need to revive the education system, which they claimed had deteriorated significantly.
The National Students' Front (NSF), a right-wing student organization, wrote a letter to Vice-Chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharjee, demanding a ban on the Revolutionary Students' Front (RSF) for allegedly promoting anti-national activities. The NSF also called for the rustication of students identified as Maoists or Naxalites.
Somsurya Banerjee, a founding member of the NSF, warned that if the university administration failed to act, a broader student protest would be initiated. Approximately 50 to 60 people, including teachers, students, and research scholars, participated in the event.
Restoring cultural heritage and education system
Palas Maji, the state general secretary of the West Bengal University Karmachari Parishad, stated that the gathering discussed restoring Bengal's cultural heritage and reviving the education system, which he described as being at a low point in the state. He added that they urged their members to mentally prepare to eliminate anti-national activities being carried out under the guise of Naxalite and Maoist radical leftism.
Campus sources noted that this was a rare gathering of a staff body affiliated with the BJP or RSS in recent memory. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier commented that anti-national slogans were being written on JU walls and that students were protesting instead of studying.
Nikhil Das, president of the ABVP's JU unit, said they had submitted a letter to the VC alleging that ABVP flags were torn near the UG Arts building and other places on campus.
