A violent confrontation broke out on the Jadavpur University campus in South Kolkata on Friday evening between the student supporters of CPI(M) affiliated Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Walk Together Initiative ( WTI ). According to the students, the clash erupted when two first year students from the Chemistry department were allegedly summoned to the science Union room by WTI members and questioned over a private discussion they had as students about the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) elections.
The incident reportedly began on a campus path near the Science Arts crossing during an cultural event organized by WTI . As SFI activists campaigned members of the WTI confronted them leading to heated arguments. Supporters from both sides quickly gathered and and the verbal spat quickly escalated into a physical fight on the university grounds. The clash left several injured and some students were later hospitalized for medical treatment.
Two faculty members Professor Rajeshwar Sinha and Professor Lalit Lalitav Mahakund were injured when they stepped in trying to break up the scuffle. Both were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Professor Sinha sustained a cut on the nose and a bruise near the eye as his spectacles were broken and Mahakund was treated and discharged after first aid, sources told NTT.
NTT contacted both parties involved in the confrontation but they refused to speak on camera fearing further escalation.
Following the clash at Jadavpur University, Soumyadeep Ujan Mahato was allegedly named by the members of SFI in connection with the assault on the two professors who were injured during the incident. Mahato, however, has denied such allegations, stating that he did not attack the professors. Speaking with NTT, Mahato said, “SFI is trying to frame me as a perpetrator but all such allegations are completely baseless.” He claimed that he instead assisted one of them after he was injured. “I helped the professor move away from the site of the clash and sought medical help during the confusion that followed,” he stated.
SFI however has refuted claims that it identified any individual by name. Speaking with NTT under conditions of anonymity, a SFI representative clarified that they did not accuse any specific person of attacking the professors. “What we said and continue to maintain is that there were unidentified members associated with WTI and AFSA behind this and we uphold his statement without naming any individual,” the SFI representative stated.
Repeated attempts to contact WTI representatives for their version of events were unsuccessful and the organization was unable for comment at the time of publication.
Vice Chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharya dubbed the incident as ‘unprecedented’ and ‘shameful’ for the esteemed institution. Addressing the media, he hoped that recurrence must be prevented in future.
Police remained on alert outside the campus but took no action since no formal complaint had been filed. A senior officer of Jadavpur police station said, “ Our personnel posted outside the campus gates near 8B bus stand heard about some commotion. We were informally told by the security guards about the scuffle. But since the police cannot enter the campus without the consent of the university authorities, we did not intervene. No complaint had been lodged by either side.
The clash comes amid a backdrop of intense campus politics at Jadavpur University . Students have repeatedly demanded restoration of the long defunct student union system. Union elections that were last held in 2020 have been postponed for years leading to growing frustrations . In 2020 polls left leaning groups swept all faculty unions , the leftist Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF) won every seat in the Engineering faculty, the We The Independents ( WTI ) retained control of the science faculty and SFI won all top posts in the Arts faculty.
