Jadavpur University Acting VC Hospitalized Amid Student Protests

Amid the student row in Kolkata's iconic Jadavpur University, Bhaskar Gupta, the acting vice-chancellor, was admitted to a private hospital on Wednesday.

Acting vice-chancellor of Jadavpur University Bhaskar Gupta was admitted to a private hospital here on Wednesday, amid the ongoing student agitation in the varsity.

The V-C was feeling unwell, and the doctors noticed fluctuations in his blood pressure levels, leading to his hospitalization.

Incidentally, it happened as the agitating students had set a deadline of 4 p.m. for the university to decide on their demands regarding the March 1 ruckus that had erupted inside the campus. The students had said that they will announce their next course of action after the deadline and the university's response.

On March 1, two students were allegedly hit and injured by a Minister’s car, while the Minister himself sustained minor injuries and fell ill.

As per information passed on by Gupta’s family members to the media persons, he had to be hospitalized because his blood pressure could not be kept within the normal limit through regular medication at home.

Gupta had reportedly fallen sick after the March 1 ruckus within the university campus, and the doctors had advised him to have complete bed rest. It was learnt that on Wednesday morning, his blood pressure shot up abnormally, following which the doctor treating him decided to hospitalize him without taking further risk.

The two major demands of the agitating students are that an FIR be filed against West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu in the matter of the two fellow students being “allegedly and deliberately” hit by his vehicle and the acting vice-chancellor should immediately convene a meeting with the different students' unions and discuss the ongoing crisis in the university.

The ruckus broke out within the university campus on Saturday when the Minister's car was allegedly stopped after it entered the campus, and a scuffle followed. The students were demanding immediate elections for the university's students' council.

The agitating students alleged that while Basu decided to leave the campus in the face of the protests, his vehicle deliberately hit the two agitating students, following which they were severely injured and had to be hospitalized.

Amid the protests, the Minister received minor injuries and fell sick. He was taken to the state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College & Hospital and was discharged later.