Viswa Bharati VC hits back at Mamata Banerjee after Tagore’s UNESCO plaque row, reminds CM of her arrested leaders

In response to Mamata Banerjee's statements over the contentious commemorative plaques installed across the campus, Viswa Bharati VC, in a letter to the CM has highlighted the arrests of several Trinamool Congress leaders and has raked up Mahua Moitra’s alleged ‘cash-for-query’ scam. This comes days after days after Mamta Banerjee strongly condemned the University for installing plaques commemorating UNESCO's honor, without the mention of Tagore.

The stated letter has become the new bone of contention between the Viswa Bharati VC and the West Bengal CM. The VC has launched a scathing attack on Banerjee with a letter loaded with political innuendos and several non-academic issues. “We have also here in the campus competent individuals who are completely different from the sycophants surrounding you”, said Bidyut Chakraborty.

UNESCO had conferred the title of a World Heritage Site upon Viswa Bharati. Following this, commemorative plaques with the names of Chancellor Narendra Modi and Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty were installed across the varsity campus. As per reports, three such plaques were placed, and this stirred a massive controversy as these plaques did not mention the name of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, the founder of the central university.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had come down heavily on the Viswa Bharati authorities and the Union Government for failing to mention Tagore’s name on the commemorative plaques. “Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore created a world heritage site at Santiniketan - Visva Bharati, but the current institutional authorities there have arranged site memorial plaques on this occasion which display even the Vice Chancellor's name but not the name of Gurudev. This insults Tagore and belittles the anti-colonial heritage-creating efforts of our Nation's founding fathers. ”, said Banerjee. In addition, she had given a deadline to the varsity authorities to remove the plaques by Friday morning or face protests. The residents of Shantiniketan have been protesting outside the University campus, bearing posters of Tagore, demanding the immediate removal of the controversial plaques.

"We need to follow the ASI instructions while preparing the plaque and we are doing it, the result of which will soon be visible… We have also here in the campus competent individuals who are completely different from the sycophants surrounding you.” said the Vice Chancellor, hitting back at the WB CM. Chakraborty further stated that the Prime Minister is the Chancellor of Viswa Bharati and the role played by the PM in getting the World Heritage tag cannot be ‘gauged in any of the available yardsticks.’

The VC also went on to state that several ministers of the Trinamool Congress leadership are behind bars, in addition, he also brought MP Mahua Moitra’s ‘cash-for-query’ scam that is currently being investigated by the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee to the fore. "We have purged Visva-Bharati of evil forces involved in activities which stand in contradiction with Visva-Bharati's ethos…Visva-Bharati was a nursery of corruption. By dint of hard work, it has now changed, and we are sure, in course of time, we will see the results," he added.

In addition, a road passing through the University Campus that happens to be under the control of the State Government was also discussed in this letter. The Vice-Chancellor of the varsity suggested that a ‘face-to-face dialogue’ will enable the CM to see both sides of the narrative.

Hitting back at the VC for his explosive letter, Trinamool Congress has stated that this is a dire attempt to ‘earn brownie points from the central government.’ In addition, BJP Secretary Anupam Hazra said, “What he is doing is really damaging the image of the BJP and the world famous institution. Neither the PMO nor the Raj Bhavan supports such activities. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore is our national pride and should be kept above politics.” The BJP leader further stated that the VC tenure will soon and, and this is an attempt to score an extension.