‘Azad Kashmir’ graffiti, entry of 'plainclothes policemen' spark tension at JU

Kolkata: The appearance of ‘Azad Kashmir’ and ‘Free Palestine’ graffiti on the Jadavpur University campus has sparked controversy, alongside allegations of 'plainclothes police' personnel entering the premises.

The situation escalated after two students sustained injuries during a protest on March 1 when the car of West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu and an accompanying vehicle allegedly grazed past them. Protests have been ongoing since the incident, and an FIR has been filed against Basu, along with professor and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Om Prakash Mishra, in connection with the violence.

On Monday, graffiti in black ink bearing slogans such as ‘Azad Kashmir’ and ‘Free Palestine’ were spotted on a wall near gate number three of the university. The identity of those responsible remains unknown. Kishalay Roy, president of the university’s Trinamool Chhatra Parishad unit, alleged that ultra-Left student outfits were behind it, adding that similar graffiti could be found across the campus. Abhinaba Basu, a leader of the Students’ Federation of India’s (SFI) JU unit, distanced the organization from secessionist views but emphasized opposition to the repression of minorities in BJP-ruled states.

Om Prakash Mishra, a senior faculty member and functionary of a TMC-leaning academic forum, denounced any posters or graffiti promoting secessionist ideology. When he entered the campus for the first time since the March 1 incident, a section of Left-leaning students greeted him with slogans such as “BJP-TMC dictatorship se azadi” and “go back.”

Meanwhile, activists of SFI and AIDSO, alongside faculty members from professor unions like Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) and the All Bengal University Teachers’ Association (ABUTA), alleged that around 30 plainclothes police personnel entered the campus around 1 pm on Monday. Their presence reportedly coincided with Mishra’s arrival and continued until classes ended in the afternoon.

SFI leader Souryadipto Roy stated that students were angered by the presence of plainclothes officers and raised slogans demanding that the university remain free from intimidation by the ruling TMC and the state administration. He asserted that students would not engage in discussions with the university administration until police personnel vacated the premises.

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Mishra, who was manhandled during the March 1 protests, denied knowledge of police presence on campus and maintained that he had not sought security for his visit. “I do not need protection at my own university, among my students and fraternity,” he said.

JUTA general secretary Partha Pratim Roy condemned the police presence, whether uniformed or in civilian attire, on campus. He stated that both students and senior faculty members raised the issue with university authorities and intervened to prevent tensions from escalating.

Students also submitted a charter of demands to university officials, highlighting the need for student union elections and improved campus security. JUTA’s Roy expressed hope that regular classes would resume from Tuesday.

ABUTA office-bearer and senior JU faculty member Goutam Maity called the reported presence of plainclothes police “unfortunate.” A senior university official, however, clarified that authorities had no prior knowledge of police personnel being inside the campus and had not requested their presence. “Police have been maintaining a vigil outside the campus since March 1,” the official stated.

With PTI inputs