New Delhi, Sep 10 — Leaders across the political spectrum, particularly the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), on Thursday urged the Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari-led West Bengal government to ensure strict punishment for those raising slogans like "Kashmir Mange Azadi" within the prestigious Jadavpur University (JU) campus.
This comes a day after CM Adhikari said that anti-national forces and those insulting "saffron" will be uprooted from the soil of the state, after leading a rally to protest against anti-national slogans and graffiti on the varsity campus.
Speaking to IANS, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said: "I appeal to Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari ji to immediately identify such people and ensure strict punishment for them."
JD(U) National General Secretary Shyam Rajak backed CM Adhikari's remarks, saying: "Such people don't deserve to stay in Bengal. University is the temple of education and if such kind of politics takes place there, strict action should be taken against those indulging in such acts."
BJP leader and Bihar Minister Dilip Jaiswal added: "There is nothing new. From the beginning itself, there have been such kind of people at the university who indulge in politics that goes against the mainstream in Bengal and the country. The entire country knows that there are some people in JNU and in Jadavpur who keep carrying out such incidents."
Congress MP Akhilesh Singh also said: "BJP itself has its government there so it should take steps against such acts. Who has stopped them from doing so?"
Asserting that Jadavpur holds a very high position in terms of merit and is one of the best educational institutions in Bengal, Trinamool Congress MLA, Kunal Ghosh said: "There are people who sang 'Vande Mataram' there. However, not everyone thinks the same way, and we are also against those who are saying 'Kashmir demands freedom', this is an anti-India slogan."
However, he added: "Completely opposing campus politics is also wrong."
Jadavpur University had been in the headlines last month over clashes between activists of the CPI(M)'s student wing, the Students' Federation of India (SFI), and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
The confrontation triggered protests by both student groups and led to further unrest on the campus.
Subsequently, the BJP organised a protest meeting outside Jadavpur University, which was addressed by CM Adhikari.