Bengal Governor meets protesting Jadavpur students; no agreement on holding of student union elections

Kolkata: A meeting between West Bengal Governor KN Tripathi and agitating students of Jadavpur University here on Monday failed to reach an agreement on holding of student union elections.

However, Tripathi, also the ex-officio chancellor of the varsity, assured the students that he would look into the matter.

A six member students' union delegation met Tripathi at the Raj Bhavan.

"He told us he would seek legal opinion as well as take in the state government's considerations. But he did not give us a date. We will decide our next step on January 13 after a general body meeting," said Samanwaya Raha of the Jadavpur University Arts Faculty Students' Union (AFSU).

Demanding holding of student union elections, a section of the students held Vice Chancellor Suranjan Das and other officials virtually captive for over 48 hours since Friday following an advisory by the Bengal higher education department that the state-run university hold the union elections after the assembly polls slated to be completed by May end.

However, the students demanded that the university - being an autonomous body - should not bow to the government diktat and issue the circular for the elections by January 31, when the tenure of all the three student councils expire.

They also demanded a tri-partite meeting involving Tripathi - the ex-officio chancellor, the vice chancellor, executive council members and student representatives.

The siege on lifted on Sunday night after the governor agreed to meet the students on Monday.