Clashes break out in Bengal colleges over SFI’s student strike
Clashes erupted after the Leftist student unions tried to enforce a strike in various universities and colleges while the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad opposed it
Kolkata: Clashes broke out between Leftist student unions and the student wing of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in various colleges across West Bengal over the student strike called by the Students Federation of India (SFI), CPI(M)’s students’ front on Monday.
Clashes were reported from Cooch Behar, Siliguri, West Midnapore and East Midnapore when the Leftist student unions tried to enforce the strike in various universities and colleges while the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) opposed it.
“The strike was successful. Goons-backed by the TMCP had come to oppose it and resorted to violence. In Midnapore College the TMCP brought goons from outside the college and tried to take control. There were some clashes. Police did nothing. SFI activists were detained by the police,” Debanjan Dey, SFI state secretary, told media persons.
On Saturday, SFI activists gheraoed West Bengal education minister Bratya Basu and damaged his car at Jadavpur University in Kolkata as they pressed for their demands to hold student union elections at the institute. A student was also injured in the melee.
Later, SFI called for a student strike in all universities in the state on Monday alleging that TMCP activists had attacked them in Jadavpur University.
“If anyone gets injured while trying to attack somebody, can that person call himself a victim? The JU student tried to attack Basu’s car and sustained injuries. Because of that the SFI called a strike. The strike was called on Monday, the first day of the Higher Secondary examination. How can these people call themselves a student when they called a strike on the examination day?” said Debangshu Bhattacharya, state president of the TMC’s social media and IT cell.
SFI leaders, however, refuted the charges saying that the strike didn’t disrupt any examination as it was restricted to universities and colleges.
