Rabindra Bharati University Acting VC moves Calcutta HC for security after campus protests

The Acting Vice-Chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University (RBU), Subhro Kamal Mukherjee, approached the Calcutta High Court seeking police protection following protests that prevented him from entering the university campus. The acting VC faced a hostile demonstration when attempting to enter the Jorasanko campus of Visva-Bharati University on Monday. According to sources, Mukherjee was unable to enter his own campus due to the protests.

On Tuesday, the Acting VC filed a petition in the court of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, requesting permission to initiate legal proceedings for police protection. Mukherjee expressed his inability to access his office because of the ongoing protests. However, Justice Ghosh informed him that his court did not have the jurisdiction to hear the case. Mukherjee is expected to approach Justice Joy Sengupta’s court this week, where he may seek urgent permission to file the case.

The protests on Monday were organized by WBCUPA, Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, and the Sara Bangla Shikshabandhu Committee. These groups demanded the removal of Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and Interim Registrar Ashish Samanta from their positions. The demonstrators claimed that the tenure of both officials had ended long ago, but they continued to hold office, causing unrest on the campus.

WBCUPA's president, Debalina Seth, stated that the tenure of the Acting VC and Registrar had long expired, yet they continued to occupy their positions. The protests intensified due to this alleged irregularity, leading to chaos within the university campus. Following the incident, the Acting VC turned to the High Court for immediate legal intervention.