West Bengal: SFI activists-police clash at Burdwan University

Protesting against the examination results, SFI members went to the Vice-Chancellor of Burdwan University to submit a deputation.

Before the SFI activists entered the campus, university authority locked the main gate and called the police.

SFI supporters allegedly broke the locks and vandalized  the campus. The movement turned violent when police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the agitators.

SFI leaders alleged that at least 20 party activists were injured during the clash and male policemen beat up female SFI protesters.

The VC of Burdwan University, Smriti Kumar Sarkar told IBNS, "We locked the gates for security reasons and called the police to protect university's properties and to maintain law and order situation. We did not direct the police to lathicharge. Police officials took that decision. I won't comment on it."

Meanwhile, denying the allegation of lathicharge, one senior official of Burdwan district police told IBNS, "Police did not restore to lathicharge at Burdwan University campus. Cops chased the agitators and dispersed them from the area."

However, condemning of the incident, SFI's West Bengal state general secretary Debajyoti Das told IBNS, "Police committed an 'unprovoked' lathicharge there. At least 20 SFI activists were injured in the clash. Men cops beat up our female protesters. We are demanding the resignation of Burdwan University's  VC Smriti Kumar Sarkar and punishment of Burdwan's SDPO Soumik Sengupta and IC of Burdwan Police Station Priyabrata Bakshi, who led the brutal lathicharge there."

"SFI will hold protest rallies everywhere across West Bengal tomorrow," Das further said.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)