On Camera, University Vice-Chancellor Heckled, Bengal Governor Flags It

A student leader at West Bengal's Aliah University has been arrested after a video showing a group of students heckling and verbally abusing the vice-chancellor went viral and kicked up a political row in the state.

Following the BJP's allegation that the accused, Giasuddin Mondal, has links with the Trinamool Congress, the ruling party said he was expelled from its students' wing years ago. Mondal was expelled from the university in 2018. 

Sharing the video, Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar has sought a report from the Chief Secretary and said "such shameful incidents call for exemplary consequences". 

(Video may contain explicit language. Viewer discretion advised)

A university official told news agency PTI that the incident took place at the university's New Town campus on Friday. 

The video that has gone viral shows a group of students surrounding vice-chancellor Mahammad Ali in his office. The students are heard using cuss words and threatening him with dire consequences if the PhD admission list was not changed as per their recommendations. They alleged manipulation by the administration in the merit list.

The students are also heard accusing the vice-chancellor of "destroying" the university. Behind Mr Ali's chair, two security guards look on helplessly as the students continue to verbally abuse and shout at him. The vice-chancellor stays silent through the heckling. At one point, he asks for his phone back - apparently snatched by the group - but is shouted down.

The heckling reportedly went on for hours.

Mr Ali later told the media that Mondal and some others gheraoed him for a couple of hours inside his office and used foul language, PTI reported. "I had called up the police for help, but they did not come," he said.

However, West Bengal police tweeted that they had "reacted promptly". "Police reacted promptly in connection with the recent incident that took place at Aliah University and Giasuddin Mondal has already been arrested. Investigation proceeds," they tweeted.

Targeting the ruling party over the incident, Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said it shows how Trinamool's student leaders have "crossed all limits". "The V-C remained silent and did not react as he is a gentleman. Had it been me, I would have slapped the abusers," he said.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari tweeted in Bengali, "This is not an isolated incident under the regime of Bengal's daughter. This is the state's culture now. The VC said that police did not come to his rescue. This is expected as police won't arrest those who have hands of influential TMC leaders on their heads."

The CPI(M), too, condemned the incident. The party's central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said the incident is another pointer to how the atmosphere in educational institutions has been vitiated under the Trinamool's rule.

Trinankur Bhattacharya, state president of the Trinamool's students' wing, said Mondal had been expelled a few years back over an incident of assault. "We condemn the incident. The VC's abusers must be punished. This is not our culture."

Trinamool Congress's state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said the party condemns such conduct towards teachers and wants strict punishment for the guilty.