Hummingbird News Desk
KOLKATA, 3 APRIL: A video that went viral where it was seen the vice-chancellor of Kolkata’s Aliah University being threatened and abused with expletives by an expelled student leader, stirred Bengal since Saturday with intellectuals, citizens and politicians condemning the incident.
Though the incident took place on Friday, the accused, Giyasuddin Mondal, was arrested on Sunday afternoon following strong protests on the streets and social media.
Techno City police officials arrested the accused student leader from the New Town area where he lives.
The CPI-M state secretary Md Salim has said that it was orchestrated by the ruling party to divert attention from the protest in that University, demanding justice for Anish Khan.
He also alleged that this was orchestrated by the TMC as it wants to divert the attension from the protest that are being carried out by the students of Aliah University, seeking justice in Anish Khan’s murder case. He said the Mamata Banerjee government has time and again cracked down on Aliah students, used police force and goons against them ensuring their protest remain constricted within the college campus.
Governor Jagdeep Dhankar has condemned the incident and called upon the chief secretary seeking a full update on the matter by 1:00 p.m. tomorrow. He twitted “worrisome scenario reflected in a video in viral circulation. Such state of affairs where law violator rogue elements have their way with no fear of law is certainly fearful scenario for law abiders.”
The viral video showed the VC, Prof. Mahammad Ali, seated quietly in his office with Mondal and his associates insulting him in filthy language and threatening to murder him.
Mondal and his associates, who faced the camera several times, raised objection to the selection of students for a doctoral course. Mondal could be heard saying that he was not afraid of the police as he had been arrested earlier under non-bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The former TMC student leader, who was earlier the president of the TMC-controlled students’ union, was expelled by the former VC of the university. He spent 10 days in judicial custody three years ago following police complaints.
Run by the department of minority affairs and Madrasah education, Aliah University was set up in 2008.
“Mondal and a handful of youths are known troublemakers. He was expelled by my predecessor and arrested on criminal charges. I fell sick when they were abusing me,” the VC told the media.
“Mondal was expelled from the TMC students’ union three years ago following specific complaints. He had no business on campus. The fact that the episode was recorded and circulated on social media proves that this was a conspiracy to malign the TMC. Our party does not support hooliganism on campus. Police will take action,” said TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh.
“I used to be a professor myself. This is unpardonable. The VC sat quietly throughout the incident. Had I been in his place, I would have slapped the hooligan,” said BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar.
Tags: #AliahUniversity #ViceChancellor #Harassed #MdSalim #SukantaMajumdar
