Jadavpur University on the boil after State Education Minister’s vehicle is attacked

West Bengal Education Minister's vehicle attacked by students at Jadavpur University, sparking protests and allegations of political violence.

West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu’s vehicle was attacked inside Kolkata’s Jadavpur University on Saturday (March 1, 2025) by students while the Minister was attending a meeting of the teachers’ association. The incident triggered protests with students alleging they had been targeted by Trinamool Congress (TMC) goons. Protesting students were seen ransacking the venue of the teachers’ association meeting, and blocking traffic outside the university.

Mr. Basu was visiting the university for a convention of the West Bengal College and University Professors’ Association (WBCUPA), a body affiliated to the Trinamool Congress and having over 3,000 members. Shoes were thrown at his car, the windshield broken, and slogans raised. Videos showed the tyre of the Minister’s car punctured. The TMC’s office inside the university was also vandalised.

Students had demanded a meeting with Mr. Basu over union elections, which have been withheld for five years. When Mr. Basu refused to engage with the students, the protests turned violent. The protests continued for hours as Mr. Basu sat inside the campus, waiting for the students to disperse. However, the protest continued, and the Minister’s vehicle drove over students who had gathered outside the car.

After the Minister’s car was finally removed from the University, he was taken to the State-run SSKM Medical College and Hospital for a medical examination.

While the Minister alleged the attack was led by the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), SFI members said the Minister’s vehicle had driven over them.

“How can such protests and attacks be democratic? We will again hold our convention there. The students tried to provoke us; they want anarchism,” Mr. Basu said.

Senior Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh, who visited the Minister at the hospital, said Mr. Basu was physically targeted despite agreeing to talk to the students. “Mr. Basu showed restraint, but our restraint should not be mistaken for weakness,” Mr. Ghosh said.