Jadavpur University remained tense on Tuesday after a section of the students staged protests against officiating Vice-Chancellor Buddhadeb Sau demanding that the institute accommodate views of "all stakeholders" while taking any decision about ways to stop ragging on the campus.
When the Vice-Chancellor was leaving administrative building Aurobindo Bhavan on Monday, August 28, students of the SFI-controlled Arts Faculty Students' Union intercepted him and raised their demands. Mr. Sau left the campus after around two hours.
Also read: Ground Zero | Jadavpur University death - Ragging rag
Mr. Sau told PTI that he tried to reason with the students that an all-stakeholder meeting cannot be called hastily and he will do his best to address their concerns by this week.
"However, they wanted a circular in writing to be issued immediately with the assurance of convening a stakeholder meeting. I wanted to follow the well-established process of going through the Executive Committee meeting before deciding on the all-stakeholder participation issue. Since the students were insistent, we will find a middle path," he added.
The students had been on a sit-in at the Aurobindo Bhavan for over two weeks demanding justice for the undergraduate student who died after falling from the main hostel's second-floor balcony on August 9 after being ragged and allegedly physically abused by seniors.
Joyadrita, a spokesperson of the Arts Faculty Students Union, however, insisted that the V-C was not gheraoed.
"We discussed certain crucial issues concerning JU with the officiating V-C and want a definite assurance from him," she added.
A university official said along with the interim V-C, Pro-VC Amitava Datta also held talks with students to end the impasse.
