Kolkata: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar visited the Calcutta University (CU) on Wednesday only to find the office of Vice-Chancellor Sonali Chakravarty Banerjee locked.
Dhankhar, who is also the university's chancellor, inquired about the VC but the staff was unaware of her whereabouts. Besides her, other senior administrative officials were also not present to receive the governor.
Dhankhar had gone to the university to inspect the campus building and the library. He reached the campus at College Street around 1.30 pm. On his arrival, there was no one to receive him and he had to wait in the room adjacent to that of the VC.
Dhankhar sniffed a political cause behind Chakravarty Banerjee's absence despite having earlier informed her about the visit.
Reiterating that there was a policy paralysis in the education system of West Bengal, Dhankhar appealed to the state government to not politicise such institutions.
"I, with folded hands, appeal to the (state) government not to politicise universities. Don't play havoc with education. Our universities have to be temples of justice. Allow the vice-chancellor to act according to the Act (law)," he said.
Targeting university officials, he said, “Their mobile phones were unreachable, the landline was not functional, and the emails bounced back. But all of us who have to perform our duty cannot be deterred by such things."
Dhankhar said he had sent a message to the VC about his arrival at 2 pm. "I even asked for the keys to the VC’s office, but no one knew where they were," said the governor who was made to sit in a room by the varsity's staff.
Dhankhar, who has been at loggerheads with the Mamata Banerjee government over several issues, is being blamed by the ruling Trinamool Congress for delaying clearance to pending bills leading to an abrupt two-day adjournment of the state assembly, opening a new front for hostilities.
(With inputs from PTI)
Comments
0 comment