BJP terms Jadavpur University as ''hub of anti-national elements'', stages walkout from assembly

Kolkata: BJP MLAs on Tuesday staged a walkout of the West Bengal assembly over the death of a first-year student at Jadavpur University after allegedly being ragged and sexually harassed, asserting that the varsity campus is now a "hub of anti-national elements", and only an NIA probe can bring out the truth.

The BJP legislative party, which brought an adjournment motion on the issue, sought a reply from Education Minister Bratya Basu.

“What action has the state government taken to control the situation at JU and to break the nexus of anti-national elements and drugs at JU?” Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari asked.

Replying to him, Basu blamed Governor CV Ananda Bose for the “situation in Jadavpur University”, following which BJP MLAs started shouting slogans against the TMC government.

Later, the opposition legislators walked out of the House, disagreeing with the minister.

“The governor is solely responsible for the situation. It is not that a menace like ragging is taking place in JU only. Such incidents have occurred in central institutes like IIT Kharagpur,” Basu said.

Jadavpur University has been in the eye of a storm of criticism over the death of a first-year undergraduate student after allegedly being ragged and sexually harassed.

Adhikari demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency into the incident.

“The JU campus has become a hub of anti-national elements, and the state government is just a mute spectator. Only an NIA probe can reveal the truth as the state government is trying to hush up the matter,” he alleged.

The 17-year-old undergraduate student died after falling from a second-floor balcony of the main boys' hostel on August 9. His family alleged that he was a victim of ragging and sexual harassment.

Thirteen people, including former and current students of JU, were arrested in connection with the death of the student.