"Stop Convocation": Bengal Governor After Car Surrounded At Jadavpur University

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who was surrounded by black flag-waving protesters at Kolkata's Jadavpur University this morning for the second consecutive day, blamed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or the CAA. The Governor had arrived at the university to attend the annual convocation ceremony when the members of the Shikhsa Bandhu Samiti, an association of university non-teaching employees, were protesting the citizenship law and Mr Dhankhar's public statements in support of the act, as well as his "intervention" in the university's annual convocation, shouted slogans such as "Dhankar Go Back".

Demanding a suspension of the convocation, Mr Dhankar also hit out at the university officials for failing to control the protests."Suspend the convocation at Jadavpur University. The Vice Chancellor should quit if he can't handle the situation. The Chief Minister is to blame for this crisis. She opposed the Citizenship Amendment Acr and the citizens' list NRC in public space, with public funds," Mr Dhankar said, terming it a "total collapse of the system".

The Governor, who is Chancellor of Jadavpur University, was invited to address students and award honorary degrees to public personalities. An annual convocation is where the Governor is invited but has no opportunity to speak and degrees are given to graduating students by the Vice Chancellor.

"I appeal to all, don't play with fire, maintain rule of law. You can't allow a handful of people to do this," he said," Mr Dhankhar said. "I flagged the issue to the Chief Minister. Don't spend public funds for promoting agitation against law of the land," he added.

The number of those obstructing is only around fifty. System being held hostage and those enjoined with the task are oblivious of their obligations. A collapse that can only lead to unwholesome consequences. Rule of law is no where in sight. As constitutional head concerned.

— Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) December 24, 2019

On Monday too, he was shown black flags at the university when he reached there to attend a meeting of top university's top officials. It was only after considerable struggle against a sea of students that Mr Dhankhar managed to enter the building.

The Governor offered to take questions on Monday but when students sought his reaction to the CAA, Delhi Police's attack on Jamia Millia Islamia students last week and the people killed in anti-CAA protests in Uttar Pradesh, he claimed ignorance.

The students booed him and heckled him as he left.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act makes religion the test of citizenship in India. The government says it will help minorities from three Muslim-dominated countries to get citizenship if they fled to India because of religious persecution. Critics say it is designed to discriminate against Muslims and violates the secular principles of the constitution.