ABVP gheraos Barrackpore SD office over corruption, lack of student polls; Clash breaks out with police

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest in Barrackpore on Thursday demanding immediate student union elections in colleges and alleging large-scale corruption in West Bengal’s education sector. The protest was announced to highlight issues of irregularities in recruitment, lack of transparency in examinations, and the dominance of the ruling party’s student wing in educational institutions.

The demonstration began with a rally from Barrackpore railway station, where ABVP members gathered in large numbers before moving towards the sub-divisional magistrate’s office. The protesters carried placards and raised slogans against the state government, alleging that college campuses have been facing strong-arm tactics under the ruling party’s student organization and that no student union polls have been conducted for years.

Police had set up multiple barricades around the administrative building in anticipation of the march. As the rally reached the site, security forces stopped the protesters, leading to pushing and shoving between ABVP members and police personnel. The premises of the SD office were secured with heavy deployment, and entry to the area was restricted during the agitation.