BJP Rajya Sabha member Swapan Dasgupta, on a visit to Visva-Bharati University to deliver a lecture on the new citizenship law CAA, was confined by CPI-M affiliated Students Federation of India activists for close to six hours inside a locked room of the varsity on Wednesday.
Swapan Dasgupta and the vice chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty finally left the campus around 10:30 pm. Dasgupta, vice chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty, other varsity officials as also BJP leader Dudhkumar Mondal, were released from the Social Work department at Sreeniketan, a little distance away from the main campus at Santiniketan late into the night by the protesting students.
"Drama ends in Visva-Bharati without the confrontation that some protesters desperately wanted," Dasgupta tweeted, after his release.
The incident took place on Wednesday, when Swapan Dasgupta had been addressing a meeting on the Citizenship Amendment Act. He was to speak on "The CAA-2019: Understanding and Interpretation" as a part of the Visva Bharati Lecture Series at the varsity's Lipika Auditorium.
The programme was scheduled at 3.30 pm and was to be presided over by the varsity's vice chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty. However, as soon as Dasgupta reached the campus students started protesting against him.
The situation turned volatile when Dasgupta arrived at the campus in Bolpur of West Bengal's Birbhum district to deliver the lecture on the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The SFI activists raised ago back' slogans against Dasgupta, and surrounded his car to stall the programme at the Lipika Auditorium.
The authorities then shifted the programme to the social work department at Sreeniketan. But the SFI activists reached there, shouted slogans, and began a sit-in protest midway into Dasgupta's lecture, forcing him to stop. The protesters then locked the department's gate, confining Dasgupta, Chakraborty and a few other officials.
Dasgupta then tweeted: "How does it feel to have a mob attack a peaceful meeting on CAA and intimidation students? This is what is happening to a meeting I am addressing at Vishwa Bharati now. Locked into room now with mob outside (sic)."
Earlier in the day, Dasgupta had taken to Twitter to share a poster that he said had appeared on a wall at the university's campus, urging people to boycott the seminar.
Amidst shouts of "chi chi" (shame shame) and go back from the protesting students, Dasgupta told mediapersons he had come to the university at the invitation of the vice chancellor. "It was not a party or political platform. It was a programme as part of a lecture series. Now if somebody wants to attack this, it shows they are not interested in a democratic discussion. "Everybody has a democratic right to express his point of view. I had expected a good debate, and also wanted those opposed to the legislation to put forth their stand. "The vice chancellor also wanted this. But that was not to be. You can see for yourself what is happening. I will only say the desire to have a monologue is nothing but Left fascism," said the journalist-turned-politician.
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar took to twitter to express his concern. "Talked to DGA Police Virendra Kumar about serious situation of confinement of Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Swapan Dasgupta along with VC Visva-Bharati and many others for several hours, and urged him to take swiftly necessary steps. Such anarchy and failure of law and order is worrisome," he tweeted. In another tweet, Dhankhar expressed "serious concern" over governance taking a "back seat" in the state. "The incident is reflective of worsening situation of law and order in the State. It is of serious concern that Governance is taking a back seat. Time to take a serious look at this," he said.
