Pratik Bharti,
INVC,
Kolkata: As another Jadavpur University student was on Saturday hospitalised while on an indefinite hunger strike demanding resignation of the vice-chancellor, the Governor asked the VC to take immediate action on a report relating to a molestation case.
“The Governor has cautioned the Vice-Chancellor of Jadavpur University, Abhijit Chakrabarti, for the delay in taking action on the report relating to the molestation case and asked him to take immediate action as per law,” a statement from Raj Bhavan said.
Governor K N Tripathi, who is the chancellor of the university, also asked the state’s education minister to take care of the health of the students who are on fast.
“Governor K N Tripathi has expressed concern at the deterioration of health of some students of the university who are on fast and asked Partha Chatterjee, Minister for Education, to take care of the students’ health and afford all the necessary facilities in this connection,” the statement said.
Thirteen students of the university are on a hunger strike since January 5 with a five-point charter of demands including the resignation of the VC whom they held responsible for the police crackdown on them during a gherao on September 17 night.
Two of them are now hospitalised. Third-Year engineering student Shivam Ghosh was admitted to a private hospital yesterday after his blood sugar and BP fell sharply while Avik Ghosh, post-graduate student of Bengali department, was hospitalised this morning with stomach ailments.
On Monday, parents of those fasting will also hold a symbolic 12-hour hunger strike on the campus to support the students.
The students have rejected all appeals from VC, Chancellor and the education minister to withdraw their hunger strike.
The students had gheraoed the VC, registrar and others on the intervening night of September 16 and 17 demanding a fresh probe panel to investigate the alleged sexual harassment of a girl student on the campus on August 28.
The VC had said he feared for his life and called the police who intervened to break the gherao and arrested 35 students. Many of the students alleged that they were brutally beaten up by police inside the campus at night.
