IANS
KOLKATA, JANUARY 12
Jadavpur University Vice Chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti has resigned, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced Monda, triggering celebrations in the campus where academic activities had been disrupted for months over the students' demand for his ouster."Vice chancellor of Jadavpur University has been asked to step down. He has forwarded his resignation letter," Banerjee announced at the varsity campus here as students launched into thunderous applause.
Banerjee Monday met fasting agitators at the campus where parents of the 17 fasting students participated in a 12-hour token hunger strike demanding the removal of Chakrabarti following the September police crackdown on a sit-in by students demanding an independent investigation into an alleged molestation in August.
State Education Minister Partho Chatterjee was also present at the meeting.
"I was concerned about the future of the youth and students. No academic activity was happening at JU for four months. I want peaceful environment to prevail in JU.
"There must be conducive atmosphere for education. Vice chancellor of Jadavpur University has expressed his desire to resign," Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, declared to a large gathering of students, parents, teachers and activists.
Banerjee's intervention comes close on the heels of a meeting of student protestors with Chatterjee last week, when the minister had hinted at a possible solution to the stand-off soon.
"We are delighted that the chief minister supported us and solved the issue," a student said amid the din of songs and dances.
A section of the students have been clamouring for Chakrabarti's removal since Sep 17 when the police crackdown took place.
The agitation gained momentum via social networking sites and had ripple effects across many Indian cities.
The alumni particularly lent solid support to the movement.
Governor K.N. Tripathi, who is also the university chancellor, Saturday cautioned Chakrabarti for delaying action in the alleged molestation of a female student and directed him to act immediately.
The governor expressed concern over the deteriorating health of the students who were on fast and asked Chatterjee to take care of their health and provide them all necessary facilities.
Saradha scam: CBI summons
Trinamool’s Mukul Roy, party hits out
IANS
KOLKATA, JANUARY 12
The CBI Monday summoned former railways minister Mukul Roy - considered West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s right hand man and number two in the Trinamool Congress - for questioning in connection with the multi-crore-rupee Saradha chit fund scam.
The opposition termed the development a major “setback” for the Trinamool, while West Bengal’s ruling party accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government of using the Central Bureau of Investigation as a “political tool” and threatened that people will hit the streets in protest. Confirming that he has been called for questioning, Roy - presently in Delhi - said he would appear before the CBI once he returns to Kolkata.
“Question doesn’t arise about any summons but I have been informed by the CBI. I am here (in Delhi) for a day or two, and once I go back to Kolkata, I will definitely meet the CBI people,” Roy, a Rajya Sabha member, told reporters in Delhi asserting he was not involved in any illegal or immoral act. Standing besides Roy - a key figure in the party’s organizational structure overseeing its electoral affairs, the Trinamool has called the people to hit the streets against the move.
With four of its leaders including Rajya Sabha members Kunal Ghosh and Srinjoy Bose, and state Transport Minister Madan Mitra arrested in the scam, the party lashed out at the BJP-led central government for “politically using the CBI”.
“The nasty ploy of using the CBI as a political tool by the BJP continues. They could not fight us politically in Bengal in the Lok Sabha elections. So now, these dirty tactics months before the corporation elections. We will fight them - strongly, politically,” Trinamool Rajya Sabha chief whip Derek O’Brien O’Brien said. “This is blatant vindictiveness. Is the CBI being run by (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi’s office or by Amit Shah at the BJP headquarters?” he asked.
Probing the scam that came to light in April last year, the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate have also questioned many Trinamool MPs.
Describing the CBI as a “frontal office for the BJP”, Trinamool secretary general Partha Chatterjee said the people will hit the streets against the “political vindictiveness of the BJP”.
“Party workers, supporters and common people will protest against the BJP’s misuse of the CBI in every block of the state,” he said.
Claiming that the Trinamool frontline leadership was involved in the scam, BJP national secretary S.N. Singh said Roy’s summoning was a major setback for the state’s ruling party.
“Roy was the last person whom Saradha chief Sudipta Sen had met before he fled to Kashmir. So his summoning by the CBI is a significant step,” the BJP leader said.
Former state Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya said Roy’s summoning by the CBI “was imminent”.
Communist Party of India-Marxist politburo member Sitaram Yechury demanded that properties of all those involved in the scandal should be confiscated and sold off and every person connected to the graft be called for questioning, irrespective of their positions including Banerjee. “The matter must be investigated in its entirety and all those who are involved irrespective of their position must be quizzed and if found guilty, action must be taken against them.
