Everyone has right to protest, says West Bengal Governor Ananda Bose after TMCP supporters show black flags outside Calcutta University

Calcutta University officiating Vice-Chancellor Santa Dutta said, "Those who staged the protest are not university students but outsiders whose entry had been banned inside the campus

Black flags were shown to West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose by the students' wing of Trinamool Congress (TMC) outside Calcutta University (CU), in Kolkata, on Thursday (October 3, 2024) when he went there for an award ceremony.

Asked to comment on the black flag protest, Mr. Bose told reporters "Everyone has the right to protest. They have to choose which way they want to." Told that some supporters of Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) were protesting, he said "Political parties have the right to protest."

CU officiating Vice-Chancellor Santa Dutta told reporters, "Those who staged the protest are not university students but outsiders whose entry had been banned inside the campus. The High Court had itself paved the way for our certificate and diploma awarding ceremony and we went ahead with the function inviting the Chancellor."

“The students wished that this ceremony take place in an uninterrupted manner as they have been facing difficulties on career front and placement if they don’t get the documents officially,” Ms. Dutta added.

The TMCP was protesting the alleged irregular way of deciding to hold the award ceremony by the university authorities with no permanent V-C which prevented the CU from organising the official convocation.

The Governor, who is also the ex-officio Chancellor of Calcutta University, presided over the certificate and medal distribution ceremony of the varsity on its College Street campus.

Published - October 03, 2024 04:13 pm IST