The Calcutta High Court has raised serious concerns over the recent violent clashes at Jadavpur University, where students protesting against Education Minister Bratya Basu's visit engaged in a confrontation with his convoy. The court has directed the state to implement strict measures to control such unrest and prevent similar situations in the future.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh highlighted the issue, questioning whether the incident was due to an intelligence failure by the police or if intelligence reports were deliberately ignored by the minister. Stressing the need for discipline, he stated:
"There must be some discipline by both parties... people cannot be allowed to come so close to [the minister]... I don't want this to become an example for the rest of West Bengal... election year is coming, this will spread like an epidemic... citizens will lose discipline... I don't want it to be like the neighbouring country... henceforth if there is any defiance in following intelligence by [ministers] it has to be recorded in writing. No phone calls will do... otherwise, if something happens, all blame will come on the security agencies."
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The court has also demanded a detailed report from the state authorities explaining how such a volatile situation arose and why the police failed to prevent the escalation of violence.
The Incident: What Happened at Jadavpur University?
The unrest began when Education Minister Bratya Basu visited Jadavpur University to attend the annual general meeting of a teachers' association. As he arrived, he was met with strong opposition from protesting students. The situation quickly spiraled out of control when Basu's convoy attempted to move through the crowd, leading to several students being injured.
One student suffered severe injuries after being crushed under the wheels of a vehicle from the minister’s convoy. This further ignited the protests, resulting in students vandalizing cars from the convoy, intensifying the agitation.
Justice Ghosh underscored the importance of security measures and criticized the lack of proper protocols in handling such sensitive situations. He instructed that any defiance of intelligence warnings by government officials must be documented in writing to ensure accountability. The court emphasized that verbal communication regarding security concerns would not be sufficient.
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The judge expressed his worry that such incidents could have a ripple effect across West Bengal, especially with the upcoming election year. He warned that a failure to control such situations could lead to widespread indiscipline among citizens, drawing comparisons to instability in neighboring countries.
Next Steps: State’s Responsibility to Maintain Law and Order
Following the court’s directives, the state government is now responsible for implementing strict measures to prevent future occurrences of student unrest. The authorities have been asked to submit a comprehensive report detailing the reasons behind the failure of law enforcement and steps to ensure such situations are managed more effectively in the future.
The incident at Jadavpur University has raised serious concerns about student safety, government accountability, and the role of law enforcement in managing protests. With the Calcutta High Court’s intervention, the focus is now on ensuring that appropriate security measures are taken to prevent such violent clashes from happening again.
Case No: WPA/5132/2025
