Jadavpur student who alleged Minister’s car hit now seen burning TMCP flag on campus

A fresh controversy has erupted at Jadavpur University after a video surfaced showing student Indranuj Ray burning a Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) flag near Gate No. 4 of the campus. The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday evening. Indranuj had earlier claimed that he was hit by Education Minister Bratya Basu's car, a claim that sparked political tension. The latest video has added a new layer to the ongoing unrest within the university.

TMCP has accused Indranuj of setting their flag on fire in a deliberate and public act. The organization’s university president, Kishalay Ray, said, “Our flag was openly burned by Indranuj Ray. Repeated hooliganism like this will no longer be tolerated. If they understand the language of governance and protest, then we too know how to respond in the same language.” The flag-burning incident was captured in a video that circulated among student groups on campus, further escalating tensions.

Responding to the allegations, Indranuj Ray admitted to burning the TMCP flag. He defended the act as a symbolic protest. “If they truly believed in democracy, we would have protested democratically. But they try to kill, intimidate students with notices,” he said. He claimed that other student groups were being threatened, their materials were being torn, and water was thrown on them. He said, “In such circumstances, we had no other option but to protest symbolically.”

Following the emergence of the video, TMCP reiterated its opposition to Indranuj’s actions and accused him of targeting the organization repeatedly. The group has previously clashed with Indranuj over his statements against the education minister’s convoy. This latest act has widened the conflict between student groups within the campus.

When asked about the incident, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) unit at Jadavpur University also responded. Its leader, Abhinav Basu, said, “We believe in democratic movements. Burning any political organization’s flag is not right.” However, he added that there is “deep discontent among students against Trinamool” and described the incident as a possible result of repeated “atrocities” faced by students on campus.