Bengal Governor to enter JU again after Babul Supriyo episode, with Z category security cover

The Governor who is also the Chancellor had made it clear that he wants in on every decision taken at the meeting. But students said that they will never forget the Babul episode of September 19
Image for representational purpose only
Image for representational purpose only

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar will be provided 'Z' category VIP security cover by the Union government in the wake of "potential threats" to him, officials said on Thursday. Dhankar, found central security and intelligence agencies, needs to be secured by a professional team of personnel especially in the wake of the recent incident at Jadavpur University where the Governor rescued Minister Babul Supriyo from protesting students. Dhankar will attend the meeting of the Court, the highest decision-making body of the Jadavpur University, on Friday to finalise names of recipients of honorary D Litt and DSc in the next Convocation to be held in December, a university official said.


Dhankar is set to visit JU on Friday. "Jadavpur University deserves to be continually on a growth trajectory and it must have the status of being an institution of eminence," he said. This will be the first visit of the governor, also the JU chancellor, to the university after the Babul Supriyo episode on September 19, which had led to a war of words between him and the state's ruling Trinamool Congress. JU Registrar Snehamanju Basu said there is a strong possibility of Chancellor Dhankhar attending the Court meeting scheduled on Friday.

The Court meeting is usually attended by the Vice-Chancellor, Pro-VCs, heads of departments and representative of the higher education department. About the procedure of choosing names of recipients of honorary degrees at Convocation, an office-bearer of the JU teachers' association said normally the Executive Council, comprising heads of departments, select the names by a two-thirds majority.

The names are then passed on to the Court which again examines the list, finalises it and forwards the same to the Chancellor who gives the nod. "But this year during a meeting with the VC at Raj Bhavan in September, the Chancellor had made it clear that he should be a party to any decision on the issue and suggested October 18 as the date of the meeting which he will attend," the JUTA office bearer, not wishing to be named, said.

Debraj Debnath, General Secretary of Arts Faculty Students Union (AFSU) said, "Being the Chancellor, he has every right to attend the Court meeting." However, he added, the students will never forget how Dhankhar came to the campus on September 19 evening and took away Supriyo in a car ignoring the right of the students to protest against the policies of the BJP government. The governor also did not utter a word against the vandalism allegedly by ABVP workers inside the JU campus on that day, Debnath said.

Asked if AFSU will stage a protest against Dhankhar, he said, "So far we haven't decided any such programme." The JUTA office-bearer said they are hopeful there will be no untoward incident during Dhankhar's visit, but if there is any last-minute development, "We will reason with the students and convince them."

Supriyo on September 19 was shown black flags and heckled by a section of students who also stopped him from leaving the JU campus, prompting Dhankhar to rush to the institute. The governor too faced demonstrations by the students belonging to Left-leaning organisations including SFI and AFSU, Naxalite students' wing AISA, besides a few members of the TMCP.
 

The security officials said the Union home ministry has issued an order and directed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to take charge of Dhankar's security that will be valid in all parts of the country. Under the 'Z" category, the West Bengal Governor will have about 8-10 armed security personnel with him when he travels. The paramilitary force will take over the charge soon, they said.

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