Bengal Guv may move court against Jadavpur University convocation

Kolkata, Dec 26 (IANS) West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose is considering moving the court against the controversial convocation ceremony at Kolkata’s iconic Jadavpur University on December 24, which was reportedly done without the consent of the Governor, who is the chancellor of all state universities in Kolkata. 

Insiders from Raj Bhavan in Kolkata said that the legal ground under which the office of Governor is considering approaching the court is the signature of the interim vice- chancellor of JU Buddhadeb Sau on the certificates distributed.

The contention is that, as said by insiders, how the certificates that were distributed on the convocation day contained the signature of Sau since by then he was already removed by the Governor from the chair of interim vice- chancellor of JU.

On Monday only the office of Governor had sought clarification from the JU authorities on the legal grounds under which the convocation ceremony was held on Sunday. The main question put forth was how Buddhadeb Sau could take decisions about organising the convocation and sanction the cost required for that as he had been removed from the chair of interim vice-chancellor.

The convocation of JU on Sunday was shrouded with total controversy. The Governor, on Saturday evening, removed Sau from the chair of the interim vice-chancellor barely 12 hours before the convocation on Sunday morning. The Governor, by virtue of his parallel position as the chancellor of state universities, removed Sau from his chair.

However, on Sunday morning, the state's education department reinstated Sau with an aim to give the convocation process a smooth sail. On Sunday, the convocation was organised without the presence of the Governor.

As a matter of legal caution, Sau attended the convocation as a guest and in his place the programme was presided over and anchored by the pro vice-chancellor Amitava Dutta, assisted by the JU registrar Snehomonju Basu, There was no representation from the University Grants Commission (UGC) in the convocation as well.

Earlier in August this year, Sau was appointed by the Governor as the vice-chancellor of JU soon after the tragic ragging related death of a fresher at the boys’ hostel of the university. Before Sau’s appointment, JU was running headless without a permanent vice chancellor for a long time.

According to JU insiders, Sau of late got into bad books of the Governor by announcing the date of the convocation after holding a meeting with Education Minister Bratya Basu, bypassing the office of the Governor as the chancellor.

--IANS

src/dpb