TMC vandalism at college sparks protests

SHRC takes a serious view, calls for report from cops Kolkata (PTI): The vandalism at Presidency college on Thursday saw the ruling Trinamool Congress and the CPM trading charges over the incident even as West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan asserted that those those behind it should be treated like criminals. The Trinamool Congress, which denied its involvement in yesterday's trouble, found itself on the backfoot with video footage aired by television channels showing a Trinamool Councillor, along with two other party activists, leading the protests outside the prestigious college. "Those who ransacked (the university departyments) should be treated like criminals," Narayanan, also the Chancellor of the University, told reporters here. TMC councillor Partha Basu who was in the thick of the controversy for allegedly having led the perpetrators, denied a hand in the vandalism. "We were protesting the attack on the chief minister and finance minister. We were near the gate of the university. One of our senior leaders was hurt by a brickbat. We went to the medical college where he received four stitches. "I don't know what happened as we did not go inside the university. I will resign from the councillor's post if it is found we went inside the university," he said. Countering him, Vice-Chancellor of the university Malabika Sarkar said "What happened yesterday was shocking. I will write (to Governor) that the attackers carried TMC flags and ransacked and vandalised various departments of the university." Sarkar, who took part in a protest march with students, faculty and alumini of the university during the day appealed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to ensure an investigation to identify the attackers and said hooligans had beaten up students and made obscene remarks against girl students. Taking serious note, the West Bengal Human Rights Commission asked the city police commissioner to investigate and submit a report within two weeks. "The Commission has expressed serious concern over the incident. It has asked the police commissioner to conduct an inquiry by an officer not under the rank of special commissoner or additional commissioner and the report must be submitted within two weeks with his comments on it," Joint secretary, WBHRC Sujay Haldar said.

Mamata's condition stable Kolkata (PTI): Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was admitted to a private clinic here with complaints of breathing problem and palpitation, was resting and her condition was stable, doctors attending to her said on Thursday. "Chief Minister is stable and she is now resting in our clinic under the observation of a 10-member medical team led by Dr Subrata Moitra," Belle Vue Clinic CEO K Tandon told PTI. "But she is under close monitoring." Tandon said some tests including MRI, CT scan and blood examinations had been done and some more tests were likely to take place today. Banerjee was admitted to the clinic shortly after she returned from Delhi on Wednesday afternoon. She was driven straight to the clinic from the airport.

CPM writes to Prez against WB Guv New Delhi (PTI): CPM on Thursday urged President Pranab Mukherjee to decide whether West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan's "political interventions" in seeking an apology from the party Politburo for the Delhi incident, involving Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, were justified. Party General Secretary Prakash Karat shot off a letter to the President, saying Narayanan's statement was "unwarranted and does not behove the post of the Governor of a state". Maintaining that widespread attacks were going on in West Bengal against CPI(M) and Left parties' offices and leaders, he said the Governor's statement "has only encouraged these elements." Quoting the statement, Karat said while one could understand the Governor condemning the incident, but Narayanan "has gone much beyond that and called it (Delhi incident) a 'shocking pre-meditated assault on the Chief Minister, the Finance Minister and other senior Ministers'." "How is it that Narayanan sitting in Raj Bhavan in Kolkata has come to the unfounded and totally baseless conclusion that there was a pre-meditated assault on the Chief Minister and others?," he asked.

Mahasweta says no alternative to Mamata Kolkata (IANS): Condemning the treatment meted out to the West Bengal Chief Minister in Delhi, eminent writer and activist Mahasweta Devi on Thursday said there was no alternative to Mamata Banerjee. "As a Chief Minister, I do not see any alternative to her. Those who have been opposing her are increasingly getting isolated from the common man," Mahasweta Devi told mediapersons here. Praising Banerjee for her endeavour to fulfil the commitments made to the people, the Magsaysay awardee urged people to continue keeping faith in the Chief Minister. "After assuming power, she has taken pro-people decisions most of the time... When needed, she has not spared her own party people," she said. Mahasweta Devi accused political parties of using students for their own interest. "For the last 50 years I have seen political parties using students for their own interest... The political head of the state should sit with the students union and try resolving the issue."