Kolkata: A feud between rival factions within Trinamool’s student wing over control of Saraswati Puja arrangements has escalated into a major controversy in West Bengal. What began as an internal power struggle has now become an ammunition for the opposition BJP to further its divisive agenda in the state.
The recent controversy at Kolkata’s Jogesh Chandra Law College underscores how political lumpenism – characterised by intimidation, threats, and the unchecked influence of Trinamool Congress (TMC) cadres in West Bengal’s educational institutions – has become a recurring embarassment for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government.
The dispute started over an internal disagreement about puja arrangements. Day College students allegedly erected a pandal that obstructed the Law College’s planned puja. Students alleged that Sabir Ali, an alumnus and student leader of Trinamool Congress Chatra Parishad (TMCP) along with outsiders, threatened them with rape for their initiative.
A student then petitioned the Calcutta High Court, which ruled that separate pujas should be held for the Day College and Law College departments. The court also ordered police to dismantle an illegally erected pandal within the Day College premises.
‘Political circles are falsely framing it as Muslims opposing the puja’
While Kolkata has seen colleges guarded by gun-carrying police during elections, the scale of security for a religious-cultural event like Saraswati Puja marked a stark departure from the norm. Inside the premises, students proceeded with the puja under stringent security. A modest pavilion nearby was surrounded by posters outlining various demands. Students clustered in groups, apprehensive of threats from outsiders.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.
