Gov Keshari Nath Tripathi seeks ‘anti-India slogan’ report on JU protest

West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi on Thursday said he has sought reports from Jadavpur University (JU) vice-chancellor Suranjan Das and chief secretary Basudeb Banerjee on the alleged anti-national slogans that were raised at the JU on Tuesday.

“I have sought reports from the vice-chancellor and the chief secretary. Let us wait for the reports come and we will decide what can be done,” Tripathi said after attending the 46th annual convocation of North Bengal University (NBU), of which he is the chancellor.

On Tuesday, a section of JU students took out a rally in the campus to protest a crackdown at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), where they allegedly shouted anti-national slogans.

In his speech at the convocation, the chancellor told the graduates, post-graduates and doctorates that whichever profession they choose they should keep the interests of the country at the forefront.

“To them, I say whichever profession you choose I would ask you to keep the interest of your country uppermost in your mind along with your duties and obligations to society,” Tripathi said.

He said that everyone should be committed to national development and safeguard the integrity of the nation. “Equally important is a commitment by everyone to national development and preservation of integrity of the nation. “Those who have received or are receiving higher education owe special duty to ensure that the values enshrined in the constitution of India are upheld in right spirit and direction.

A nation is better served when educated and elite people prepare others also to guard any attempt to disrupt the unity of the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, police detained some Chhatra Parishad (CP) activists of the Kalipada Ghosh Tarai Mahavidyalya at Bagdogra as they tried to stage protests when the convoy of the governor headed for Bagdogra Airport.

The activists had gathered near the college to wave the black flags at the governor. “Antinational slogans have been shouted at Jadavpur University, but no arrest has been made, no step has been taken. The chief minister is saying nothing. So we planned to stage a protest,” said Darjeeling district CP president Ronald De.

The Darjeeling district SFI, meanwhile, burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and staged a road blockade at Sevoke More in Siliguri, protesting inaction against those who raised the anti-India slogans at the JNU, the alleged defamation of the SFI by the RSS and the BJP over the issue, and against the arrest of JNU students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar. Kumar has been arrested on sedition charges.(sns)