A large number of students from the Jadavpur University on Tuesday morning blocked the convoy of West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and raised slogans against him when he arrived to participate in the convocation ceremony.
The protesting students waved black flags at the Governor to express their discontentment with him over the Citizenship Amendment Act. The students have alleged that Dhankar has failed to show impartiality as Governor.
Addressing the media later, Dhankar said it was a painful moment for him. "Students inside are waiting to be handed theri degrees, but a handful of people blocking me outside," he said.
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Targetting the Mamata Banerjee-led state governement, the governor said that there was a "total collapse of the rule of law."
"The state government has put education in captivity."
"At Jadavpur University so that the students may get their degrees and enjoy the fruits of their labour and contribute to society. Unfortunately, the way to the venue in the University is blocked. Unwholesome. No affirmative role by concerned insight. The worrisome situation," he wrote on Twitter.
The Governor said 50 people have obstructed his way to the venue, adding that the system is being held hostage and those enjoined with the task are oblivious of their obligations.
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"The number of those obstructing is only around fifty. The system is held hostage and those enjoined with the task are oblivious of their obligations. A collapse that can only lead to unwholesome consequences. Rule of law is nowhere in sight. As constitutional head concerned," he said.
"Media in such situations need to focus on public welfare as well and signal that student interests can't be so put in jeopardy," he said in a series of tweets.
This comes a day after the protesters surrounded the Governor's car when he was driven into the campus to preside over the university court meeting and demanded that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) be scrapped and there should be no National Register for Citizens (NCR) exercise in the country.
On Monday, the protestors asked for Dhankar's opinion on CAA, which, according to them, "violated the constitution". The students told Dhankhar that 25 people have died during CAA protests and wanted to know why he has kept mum on the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists vandalising the campus earlier this year.
Dhankhar encouraged the students to send a memorandum to him and said he was willing to engage with them.
"I am not representative of any government but of the constitution," he said, adding then the well-being of students and autonomy of Universities were uppermost in his mind.
However, the students later said they were "not at all satisfied" with his replies.
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Dhankhar later said in a tweet that the "state administration was not at all responsive" with regard to his JU visit.
