Sun Mar 09 06:31:32 UTC 2025: ## Jadavpur University Protests Intensify After Police Question SFI Leader

**Kolkata, March 9, 2025** – Tensions remain high at Jadavpur University following a clash between students and the state education minister’s vehicle on March 1st. The controversy escalated Saturday with the questioning of Srijan Bhattacharya, a senior leader of the Students Federation of India (SFI), by Kolkata Police. Bhattacharya claims those who witnessed the minister’s vehicle allegedly running over students haven’t been questioned. He shared evidence with the media and says he will provide it to the police.

SFI supporters responded by blocking roads, vowing to continue until Bhattacharya’s release. The students have threatened a complete university shutdown starting March 10th if their demands aren’t met. These demands follow an FIR filed against the education minister, his driver, and Jadavpur University professor Om Prakash Mishra, based on a student’s statement detailing injuries sustained during the incident. Professor Mishra, who claims he was attacked but did not file a complaint, had his residence visited by police on Saturday.

The incident has sparked strong reactions. Jadavpur Lok Sabha MP Sayoni Ghosh suggests the Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, has the power to control the situation. Meanwhile, several Trinamool Congress leaders have threatened the students, awaiting the Chief Minister’s instructions before potentially taking action.

The university’s teachers’ association (JUTA) has urged students to reconsider boycotting classes and exams, advocating for mutual respect. However, JUTA also supports the students’ demands for the withdrawal of what they call “false, fabricated cases.” The ongoing dispute comes eight years after the last student union elections at Jadavpur University, fueling SFI’s calls for fair elections. Acting Vice-Chancellor Bhaskar Ghosh, who has been largely unavailable since the controversy began, is currently hospitalized.

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