india

Updated: Sep 20, 2019 20:37 IST

Union minister Babul Supriyo on Friday said those who protested against him at a university in Kolkata would not be dealt with in the same manner as they had done, but “rehabilitated mentally” so that they “behave as students”.

Describing the protesters as “cowards and hooligans”, the Union minister posted pictures of the assault on him at Jadavpur University campus on September 19.

“These cowards will not be allowed to malign & tarnish the image of #JadavpurUniversity .. U shall be found out by us soon but dont worry, you shall not be treated in the manner you treated me,” Supriyo said in a tweet.

“We shall rehabilitate you mentally so that you & your Hooligan Friends (all footages available with the media) behave like you are supposed to behave as students .. till then,” he said.

We shall rehabilitate you ‘mentally’ so that you & your Hooligan Friends (all footages available with the media) behave like you are supposed to behave as students .. till then. (2/2) @BJP4Bengal @BJYM @ABVPVoice #JadavpurUniversity pic.twitter.com/tDXEZfRVt3 — Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) September 20, 2019

Supriyo was on Thursday shown black flags, heckled and stopped from leaving Jadavpur University campus by a section of students before eventually being rescued by the governor of West Bengal. The MoS for environment, forest and climate change was at the university campus to attend an event organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

The minister, while zeroing in on a picture of a student pulling him by his hair, wondered what action would the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government take against the student for assaulting him (Supriyo) without any provocation.

“This is the guy who led the assault in #JadavpurUniversity .. we will find him out and then see what @MamataOfficial does to him in terms of charging him for assault without ANY PROVOCATION whatsoever from our/my side,” he said in a tweet.

These are self-proclaimed Naxalites.. the one with a red Band and the one with blue stripe shirt - he is the one who can be seen catching hold of my hair.. Check out my reasoning with them and then check their demeanour..



Link👇https://t.co/HJhyH7qB97 #JadavpurUniversity pic.twitter.com/aAu8szVnXA — Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) September 20, 2019

The Trinamool Congress, late on Thursday, condemned West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar’s visit to Jadavpur University and his rescue of Babul Supriyo, terming it “most unfortunate and shocking.”

TMC’s secretary-general Partha Chatterjee alleged that Supriyo went to JU to attend a programme without informing the government and so did Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is the chancellor of the university.

The governor, too faced demonstrations by the students belonging to the Left- leaning organisations. The agitating students ended the blockade after the police and the university teachers persuaded them and the governor left the place with the minister in his car.

The ruling party statement also alleged that the governor went to the campus despite chief minister Mamata Banerjee urging him on the telephone not to do so. Governor Dhankhar had called Mamata Banerjee, who was away in Delhi, on his way to the university on Thursday evening.

“The chief minister requested him several times that the governor being the constitutional head need not go at this moment. The CM requested him to give the government some time to peacefully solve the issue,” read the statement.

“The state police was waiting outside the university, but were unable to enter in the absence of any communication from the VC (vice-chancellor),” it said adding that the “incidents between BJP students wing and JU students” were “unfortunate”.

According to the TMC, the state police facilitated the exit of Supriyo and the governor out of the troubled spot.