New Delhi, Sep 19 BJP leader Dilip Ghosh sharply criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly failing to ensure student safety and for the prolonged suspension of campus elections in the state.
Speaking to IANS, Ghosh said that students’ voices are unheard in Mamata Banerjee’s regime. “From colleges to schools, incidents are happening, and girls are being sexually assaulted. Teachers and party (Trinamool Congress) members are involved. As a result, sending children to schools or colleges has become a major concern. The Mamata government is silent, and the police are not lodging FIRs into this,” he alleged.
Criticism arose due to the suspension of student council elections in the state’s higher education institutions. These elections have remained suspended for over six years, even before the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020. Several student bodies, including at Jadavpur University, have staged protests demanding the resumption of democratic campus elections. No official timeline has been implemented so far.
The demand for elections recently gained fresh momentum following the shocking Kasba Law College gang-rape case, where students and parents raised serious concerns about safety on campuses.
Dilip Ghosh intensified his criticism by pointing to what he described as rising lawlessness in the state. “Mamata Banerjee’s MLAs are afraid of the people. During Durga Puja, they leave for foreign countries where they have investments. So many incidents are happening, yet TMC leaders are nowhere to be seen, even during teachers’ protests or growing public unrest,” he said.
Meanwhile, in recent statements, Education Minister Bratya Basu indicated that the process for holding student council elections may begin after the upcoming festive season. His assurance came during a Trinamool Chhatra Parishad event, amid increasing pressure from student groups.
Additionally, the West Bengal government is facing scrutiny after multiple women-related crimes, including the Kasba gang-rape incident, where three accused were arrested. The National Commission for Women (NCW) took suo motu cognisance of the matter, while opposition leaders intensified calls for justice and accountability.
(Auto generated news from IANS Feed. This has not been edited by enewstime desk)
