Protesters prevent WB Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar from entering JU; he leaves varsity
Kolkata: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was on Tuesday prevented by protesters from entering Jadavpur University to attend its annual convocation, following which he left the varsity premises.
Protesters of the Trinamool Congress Employees' Union showed black flags to Dhankhar, who is the chancellor of the varsity, and blocked his car at gate number 5 of the campus at 10.30 am on Tuesday.
The protestors raised "go back" slogans and showed placards that read "No NRC, No CAA". He left the premises at around noon. Dhankhar said the incident showed that rule of law has been "severely compromised" in the varsity.
".@MamataOfficial. Am surprised that inspite of my directive to VC to go by rule book and abide by my direction as regards Convocation, the same has been started. In utter helplessness as of now I am leaving the Jadavpur University campus. Those concerned must soul search.
"@MamataOfficial. Events that have unfolded as a result of politically motivated orchestration of obstruction of my entry to JU to preside over the Convocation so that students get fruits of their labour, leaves no manner of doubt that rule of law is severely compromised," he tweeted.
The governor, in a series of tweets, hit out at the vice-chancellor Suranjan Das, saying he remained "silent spectator" to the incident.
"I am amazed that the Vice Chancellor is in passive mode and silent spectator to this unseemly spectacle that augurs painful sliding of our system. This action is orchestrated by the powers that be not knowing the damage it causes in short and long run on out education.
"Neither the VC nor anyone else from the University has contacted me though I have from my side contacted them," he tweeted.
In another tweet, the governor said,"A painful scenario that the Jadavpur University Vice Chancellor is oblivious deliberately of his obligations and looking for alibis. He is presiding total collapse of rule of law. Ruinous state of affairs."
Meanwhile, Arts Faculty Students' Union president Debraj Debnath said that the students did not block the entry of the governor into the campus.
"We only showed placards and raised slogans against NRC and CAA," he said.
The governor was on Monday heckled and shown black flags twice at the university, a hotbed of anti-CAA protests, a day after he declared as "illegal and invalid" the varsity's decision to defer the December 24 special convocation because of possible trouble.
He had arrived at the varsity on Monday to attend a meeting of the university Court, its highest decision-making body.
After he could not attend the Court meeting due to agitation by stakeholders, including students and non-teaching staff, the chancellor had called up the vice-chancellor Suranjan Das requesting him to hold the meeting at Raj Bhavan.
But, the Court members unanimously decided that the meeting should not be shifted elsewhere as it had already started at the JU campus.
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At UN, India flags concerns over targeting of vessels in Strait of Hormuz
United Nations (PTI): Targeting commercial shipping, endangering civilian crew and impeding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is "unacceptable", India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Parvathaneni Harish has said.
Harish's remarks at a special meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNECOSOC) on safeguarding energy and supply flows came days after an India-flagged commercial vessel came under attack off the coast of Oman.
Omani authorities rescued all 14 crew members of the vessel sailing from Somalia, but it was not immediately known who carried out the strike.
In a post on X on Sunday, Harish said that at the UNECOSOC meeting, he shared India's approach to the recent energy and fertiliser crisis caused by the West Asia conflict.
"A combination of short-term and structural measures alongside international cooperation are essential to respond to the crisis," he said.
"Reiterated that targeting of commercial shipping, endangering civilian crew and impeding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, are unacceptable. International law in this regard must be fully respected," he added.
The attack on the India-flagged vessel on May 13 took place amid the fragile situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway close to the coast of Oman through which roughly one-fifth of the world's energy supplies pass.
It has been severely disrupted by the conflict in West Asia that started on February 28, with the US and Israel launching joint attacks on Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes.
Earlier, India had described the attack as "unacceptable".
At least two other Indian-flagged ships have been attacked since the conflict broke out.
According to the UNECOSOC website, the meeting, which took place on Friday, focused on “Safeguarding energy and supply flows: Supporting global development through international cooperation”.
