New Delhi: Students of Visva Bharati University at Shantiniketan in West Bengal were assaulted, allegedly by Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members armed with metal rods, stumps and wooden planks on Wednesday night.
Two students, Swapnanil Mukherjee and Debobrata Nath, who had participated in a protest against the vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty’s decision to invite Swapan Dasgupta, an MP nominated to Rajya Sabha by the BJP, to deliver a lecture on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, were brutally assaulted in the attack.
Also read: CAA: Pro-BJP MP Swapan Dasgupta Gheraoed, ‘Locked In’ at Visva-Bharati
Students have alleged the involvement of ABVP members. They claimed that the attackers entered the Vidhya Bhavana senior boys’ hostel and began threatening students who had participated in the protest.
AGAIN!
ABVP goons attacked Visva Bharati University students in West Bengal. Several of them got injured and two are presently admitted at a hospital in Bolpur. They were beaten with wooden planks and rods for participating in a protest against MP Swapan Dasgupta.#StandwithVBU pic.twitter.com/jPFwAgqsfx— Rupsha (@lyadhlagche) January 16, 2020
“The Hindutva fascist BJP/RSS/ABVP combine spares none, not even protesting students who peacefully show their dissent. We have seen what they have done in JNU, today their terror has raised its hideous face at Visva-Bharati University, Shantiniketan,” a student from the university posted on Facebook.
The student added:
“My friends and comrades Swapnanil Mukherjee (Economics Department) and Debobrata Nath (Santhali Department) were brutally assaulted by goons affiliated to the ABVP. Their crime? Participating in the successful protests against Swapan Dasgupta, who had come to give a lecture in favour of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register on 8th January, the same day that the students, workers and peasants of the country were observing the All-India General Strike against the divisive, communal and subservient politics of the BJP-led government at the Centre,”
The student also claimed the involvement of the university vice-chancellor in Wednesday’s attack.
“By now, it is becoming increasingly clear that these fascist monsters were able to brazenly carry out their attacks, thanks to the present vice-chancellor of the University, who is himself a stooge of the Hindutva fascists.
Let there be no doubt: the BJP/RSS/ABVP combine will do absolutely anything to terrorise and intimidate anybody who dares to have a spine and stand up against them. Our spaces have come under attack, so that the fascists can suppress dissent and carry on with their toxic agenda in dividing the country further,” the Facebook post stated.
The students who were attacked have been admitted to the university hospital.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday criticised the BJP for the attack on the students.
On behalf of all peace loving citizens,especially students,we strongly condemn the violent acts of students affiliated to BJP on hallowed portals of Visva Bharati, a central Univ campus. We welcome swift action taken by police & appeal to admin to continue action to book culprits
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) January 16, 2020
Notably, the central university Visva-Bharati’s security is under the direct charge of the CISF.
