In another development, officiating JU vice-chancellor Bhaskar Gupta asked students and “other stakeholders” to take steps to restore normalcy in the greater interest of the university, particularly in the matters of academic activities, research and administrative work.

Gupta, who is under treatment in a hospital since March 5, said, “let democracy prevail and all issues resolved through dialogues.”

JUTA, however, emphasised it was not asking the students to call off the stir till their demands are met but ensure academic activities are not disrupted because of the stir, which had been continuing for a week.

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Affirming their support to the demands of leftist student unions for immediate withdrawal of ‘false, fabricated cases’ filed by police against some of the student protesters in connection with the March 1 incident, JUTA said in a statement, “There should be mutual respect and cordial relations between student-teachers, keeping in mind the long-standing traditions of the higher educational institution.”

The students — belonging to CPI(M)’s wing Students Federation of India (SFI), SUCI (Communist)’s All India Democratic Students’ Association (AIDSO), Naxalite Revolutionary Students’ Front (RSF), and Naxalite All India Students’ Association (AISA) — had on Friday threatened a complete shutdown of the institute’s administrative work from 2 pm on March 10 if the management failed to immediately engage in discussions with them to resolve the impasse following the incident.

Two students were injured after Basu’s car and another accompanying vehicle grazed past them during a left protest on the campus.

The left students are on an indefinite sit-in in front of the institute’s administrative building to press for their demands.

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JUTA, the major representative body of the varsity’s professors, said, “A large section of JU students have been boycotting classes and exams since the incident when one of our students was seriously injured after being knocked down by the minister’s car and is still undergoing treatment at the hospital. The vice chancellor is also ill. In this situation, we immediately call upon other senior university officials to sit for dialogue with them at the earliest.”

JUTA also called upon the agitating students “to reconsider their decision of class and exam boycott, stressing the role of every stakeholder to sustain the democratic framework.

The association also urged the university authorities to initiate a fair, comprehensive probe by a competent authority immediately into the incident, which was triggered by the AGM of West Bengal College and University Professors Association (WBCUPA) on the campus.

The VC, admitted to hospital from March 5 due to high blood pressure and stress after being allegedly manhandled by a section of students on March 1 evening, expressed his sympathy to all his well-wishers and injured students.

“I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate turn of events on March 1 and wish well for all injured – physically and mentally…..Let justice prevail,” he added.

Trouble had began on March 1 as the protesting students demanded an audience with Basu, who went to the campus as president of the TMC-leaning professors’ body. The students had demanded the minister to give confirmation about early holding of student union polls pending in JU since 2020 and other higher educational institutions since 2018.

“We have not been able to establish any communication with the university authorities since the incident. If the officiating VC is unwell, we want other institutional heads to immediately sit for talks with us. All the student fronts — except TMC’s student wing TMCP and RSS’s ABVP — remain united. We will shut down the administrative building, Aurobindo Bhavan, if the authorities do not sit with us for talks,” SFI leader Russel Pervez said.

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