JU students stage protest against new officiating Vice Chancellor
Kolkata (PTI): Jadavpur University remained tense on Tuesday after a section of the students staged protests against officiating Vice Chancellor Buddhadeb Sau demanding that the institute accommodate views of "all stakeholders" while taking any decision about ways to stop ragging on the campus.
When the vice-chancellor was leaving administrative building Aurobindo Bhavan on Monday, students of the SFI-controlled Arts Faculty Students' Union intercepted him and raised their demands. Sau left the campus after around two hours.
Sau told PTI that he tried to reason with the students that an all-stakeholder meeting cannot be called hastily and he will do his best to address their concerns by this week.
"However, they wanted a circular in writing to be issued immediately with the assurance of convening a stakeholder meeting. I wanted to follow the well-established process of going through the Executive Committee meeting before deciding on the all-stakeholder participation issue. Since the students were insistent, we will find a middle path," he added.
The students had been on a sit-in at the Aurobindo Bhavan for over two weeks demanding justice for the undergraduate student who died after falling from the main hostel's second-floor balcony on August 9 after being ragged and allegedly physically abused by seniors.
Joyadrita, a spokesperson of the Arts Faculty Students Union, however, insisted that the VC was not gheraoed.
"We discussed certain crucial issues concerning JU with the officiating VC and want a definite assurance from him," she added.
A university official said along with the interim VC, Pro-VC Amitava Datta also held talks with students to end the impasse.
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Congress calls for probe over BJP's 'use of blackmail' to bring Ajit Pawar into NDA fold
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Saturday called for a probe into alleged "blackmail" and "coercion" used to bring NCP leader Ajit Pawar into the NDA fold and said the BJP's "washing machine" was nowhere more powerful than in Maharashtra.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh cited Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's recent remarks to claim that the issue involved not just the use of "coercion and blackmail" but also breach of the oath of confidentiality and the Official Secrets Act.
"The BJP's washing machine is an all-India phenomenon but perhaps nowhere was it more powerful than in Maharashtra," he said.
When in opposition before 2014, the BJP raised allegations about massive corruption by Ajit Pawar, then the state's irrigation and water resources minister, Ramesh pointed out and added that the allegations claimed corruption to the tune of Rs 70,000 crore.
Ajit Pawar has now confirmed that blackmail and coercion surrounding these charges were used by the BJP to bring him over to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Congress leader claimed.
"The non-biological prime minister himself led the charge, famously labelling the NCP -- now his much beloved ally at the state and Centre -- as a Naturally Corrupt Party," he said.
"Ajit Pawar has now revealed that after becoming chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis showed him a file recommending an open inquiry against Ajit Pawar in the alleged irrigation scam. One can only imagine the threat that was implicit in this move: submit to us, or face action," Ramesh said.
Ajit Pawar and several other MLAs broke away from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by his uncle Sharad Pawar and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in the state last year.
Ramesh asserted that this was a serious matter since it involved not just the use of coercion and blackmail but also breach of the oath of confidentiality and the Official Secrets Act.
An investigation should be conducted into this matter, the Congress leader said.
His remarks came days after Ajit Pawar alleged he was "backstabbed" by close colleague and then home minister RR Patil, who ordered an open inquiry against him in the alleged multi-crore irrigation scam.
Ajit Pawar claimed a file mentioning Patil's remarks ordering an inquiry was shown to him by BJP leader Fadnavis after he became chief minister in 2014.
He made these claims while addressing a rally for NCP candidate Sanjay Kaka Patil, who is in the fray against the late Patil's son Rohit from Tasgaon in Sangli district.
