Protesting students at Presidency College did not allow the Vice Chancellor to leave the campus for 26 hours.
Almost 26 hours after the protests began, the vice chancellor of Presidency University, Dr Anuradha Lohia, left the campus this evening amid claims by protesting students that they were letting her go as she was unwell, but their agitation would continue till she resigns. The vice chancellor said she is not quitting.
There was high drama and a clear divide among students about the agitation, triggered by alleged manhandling of some students by the police and Trinamool cadres during chief minister Mamata Banerjee's visit to the campus on Friday.
Dr Lohia had to fight her way through slogan shouting students to reach the venue and the governor, who is also the chancellor, also brought with him in his car the education minister who, the students had declared, would not be allowed into campus.
At the convocation, Dr Lohia said, "though there have been unpleasant incidents in the last 24 hours, nothing has marred the convocation. I thank everyone for standing by me."
Governor KN Tripathi told the media after the convocation, "The students have come here to study and not to agitate. I urge them to withdraw their stir. It is unfortunate."
Earlier in the day, the protests had put a question mark over the convocation today as a section of students had called for a boycott. But many students attended it.
"Our agitation will continue. We have let the VC go on humanitarian grounds as she was feeling sick but her chair will be indefinitely gheraoed," said Trisha Chanda, general secretary of the Presidency University Students Association.
Another student who attended the convocation said, "This agitation makes no sense. The VC is doing a lot for the university. We are supporting her."
Several students of Jadavpur University were seen at Presidency during the agitation. Last year, the Jadavpur University vice chancellor had to resign after student protests over delay in action in a complaint of sexual harassment by a student against seniors.