Controversy Erupts at Jadavpur University Over 'Azad Kashmir' and 'Free Palestine' Graffiti

Graffiti in black reading "Azad Kashmir" and "Free Palestine" was spotted on a wall near gate number three of the university. (X/Dilip Gosh)

Kolkata, West Bengal, India: A new controversy has surfaced at Jadavpur University after graffiti supporting 'Azad Kashmir' and 'Free Palestine' was found on a wall near the university's gate number three. The political and student organizations at the university are engaged in a heated debate over who is responsible for the messages, while protests continue on campus.

The graffiti, written in black, sparked immediate reactions from various student groups. The Trinamool Congress' student wing, Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), quickly blamed "ultra-left student outfits" for the act. TMCP president at Jadavpur University, Kishalay Roy, told news agency PTI, "Some ultra-Left student outfits are behind this, and more such graffiti can be spotted if one goes around the sprawling campus."

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However, the Students Federation of India (SFI), which is aligned with the CPI(M), denied any involvement in the act. SFI's Jadavpur University leader, Abhinaba Basu, clarified that the organization does not support "secessionist views," adding, "We don't support secessionist views, though we are against the repression of minorities in BJP-ruled states." Basu further emphasized that SFI maintains a clear stance on the Palestine issue, but not in the context of secession.

The appearance of the controversial graffiti comes amid growing tensions at the university. On March 1, two students were injured during a protest when a car in the convoy of West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu grazed past them. Protests have continued since the incident, with an FIR filed against Basu and TMC leader Om Prakash Mishra in connection with the violence.

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In addition to the graffiti, tensions flared over the alleged presence of plainclothes police personnel on the Jadavpur campus. SFI and other student groups, including the All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO), raised concerns after approximately 30 plainclothes police officers were seen on campus on Monday, coinciding with the arrival of Professor Om Prakash Mishra, a TMC-affiliated academic.

SFI leader Souryadipto Roy expressed anger over the police presence, chanting slogans demanding that the university be free from intimidation by the ruling TMC and state administration. "We refuse to participate in any discussion with the university administration till police personnel leave," Roy stated.

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The presence of plainclothes officers has drawn criticism from several faculty unions, including the Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) and the All Bengal University Teachers' Association (ABUTA), who called it "unfortunate." Mishra, who was manhandled during the March 1 incident, claimed to have no knowledge of the police presence and insisted that he did not require any security at his "own university."

University officials clarified that while police had been stationed outside the campus since March 1, the university authorities were unaware of the presence of plainclothes officers inside the campus.

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As the controversy continues to unfold, Jadavpur University remains at the center of a political and security debate, with students and faculty calling for a resolution to the ongoing tensions.