West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari Warns Jadavpur University Students Over Nationalism

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari criticized students at Jadavpur University on Friday during a public recital of the national song Vande Mataram. Adhikari condemned the use of Azadi slogans and the presence of Maoist and Palestine sympathizers on campus, stating that his government would not allow the university to remain a free ground for such elements. He described himself as someone who knows both the disease and the medicine, warning that either the students' current culture or his administration will stay, but not both.

During the event, Adhikari questioned the nature of the freedom students were seeking, suggesting it referred to the consumption of drugs or the goals of the tukde tukde gang. He specifically challenged those calling for Kashmir's independence to instead advocate for the return of Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Adhikari also referenced his past efforts to clear Communists and Maoists from Nandigram and Jangalmahal, asserting that a storm of nationalism is now unstoppable.

The Chief Minister's remarks follow a period of tension at the university. On August 19, clashes occurred between supporters of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left student unions, leading to the damage of a wooden emblem on one of the university gates. While the university and Left student groups have raised concerns about the violence, the ABVP has alleged that the Jadavpur University Teachers Association (JUTA) planned the damage. Adhikari warned that students cannot hide behind the teachers association and threatened the use of drones to identify those smuggling drugs into the campus.

Logistically, the event saw thousands of attendees and required the suspension of traffic on Raja Subodh Chandra Mallick Road. Four to six gates of the university remained closed during the proceedings, which coincided with a state holiday for Raksha Bandhan.