Suvendu Adhikari alleges being attacked by RSF activists near Jadavpur university

Kolkata: A day after the scuffle between activists of ultra-left Revolutionary Students Federation (RSF) and BJP's Yuva Morcha near Jadavpur University, Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Friday lodged a police complaint alleging a "premeditated attack" on him by the Naxalite outfit.

Adhikari, in a tweet on X social media handle, formerly Twitter said as he was leaving the spot after giving a speech at the BJYM demonstration near JU gate, he was attacked by a group of "unknown assailants.....who belonged to the RSF an ultra-left frontal organization of the banned Maoist outfit."

Yesterday, I visited Jadavpur to attend an event organized by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.

While exiting the venue, around 5:40 pm, I was suddenly attacked by a group of unknown assailants, who managed to breach security and were shouting slogans & brandishing black flags.… pic.twitter.com/rhtr9m2SWH

— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) August 18, 2023

"I have lodged an FIR regarding this incident," the senior BJP leader said in the post attaching an image of the complaint received by Jadavpur police station.

The Nandigram MLA said "The attack appeared to be a response of the members of the said organisation who didn't like the fact that I minced no words in my speech and called out their hypocrisy. These people are part of a group who have made Jadavpur University a den of anti-national and anti-social activities. They harbour anti-establishment and secessionist ideologies: who are always criticizing the government, but at the same time clinging on to the institution, even after their formal association is over, to keep on enjoying the subsidised benefits meant for the students."

Adhikari said in the complaint that he is entitled to Z category security in view of the threat perception as assessed by the Ministry of Home Affairs and claimed that he was suddenly attacked by seven-eight people as he was leaving the venue peacefully with slogans shouted at him, black flag shown to him and the attackers even resorted to stone pelting and wrongfully restrained him from moving towards his vehicle and "timely intervention" of his security guards saved the situation.

"I have come to know that the said assailants were supporters of RSF, a Naxalite organisation banned by the government of India," he said.

"Though I do not know their names but I will be able to identify them if they are brought before me," he said, while attaching a video clip where the protestors were talking to the media after the incident.

Owning up their role to show the black flag to Adhikari, one of the protestors told reporters "We are revolutionary students front, we are a Naxalite student organisation, we are a self-styled Maoist student organisation."

Activists of RSF and BJYM fought a pitched battle with motorcycle helmets and flags before gate number four of Jadavpur University which had been witnessing a series of protests since August 10 following the death of an undergraduate first-year student who had fallen from the second floor of the hostel after being allegedly ragged and sexually harassed by seniors.

Adhikari in his speech on Thursday said, "We have already taught a lesson to the 'Tukde-tukde' gang in JNU... we will cleanse them in Jadavpur as well." The Leader of the Opposition also attacked the Left, ultra-Left and TMC student wings as well as the state government in his speech and blamed them for the state of affairs in the 67-year-old prestigious Jadavpur University.

The TMC alleged that Adhikari created a ruckus outside JU, verbally abused the police, and passed derogatory remarks.

On Adhikari's allegation, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, "BJP is just trying to fish in troubled waters. Before pointing fingers at us, they should take stock of the situation in Central government-run universities." The 17-year-old deceased, who was a resident of Bagula in Nadia district and a first-year undergraduate student of Bengali Honours.

In another development on Friday, police started dismantling the podium of BJP, from where Adhikari had addressed the previous day, near 8B bus stand.

BJP's south Kolkata district president Sanghamitra Choudhury told PTI, the podium had come up with necessary permission from police and was scheduled to be in place till August 18 and the police suddenly swung into action to dismantle it in an "undemocratic" manner.

"We don't want to create a law and order problem. But our protest was against ragging and the death of the young student which was caused by intense physical and mental torture. No idea if TMC's police have any issue with it," she added.