In controversial comments, Abhishek Banerjee (left), Trinamool Congress member of Parliament and nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, referred Jadavpur University protestors as “drug addicts” questioning whether the student protests in Jadavpur University were because of a ban on drugs and liquor inside the campus.
"Is this protest due to the banning of drugs, liquor and charas?" the Trinamool youth president said in a Facebook post.
The comment comes in the backdrop of Jadavpur University students protesting on the streets of Kolkata demanding the resignation of the vice-chancellor, the pro-VC and the registrar of the varsity in the wake of an alleged police assault of students in the early hours of September 17. On the intervening night of September 16 and September 17 the students were demanding a fresh probe panel to investigate the alleged sexual harassment of the girl inside the campus on August 28.
Thousands of students marched through Kolkata’s streets on Saturday demanding resignation of Jadavpur University Vice-chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti. West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi intervened to end the four-day old stalemate in the prestigious educational institution.
Students from Presidency University, Calcutta University and other educational institutions joined the march in a show of solidarity.
Jadavpur University students have boycotted classes to press the demand for the VC's resignation. Those in the mass communication department boycotted their examination on September 18.
