VOICES AGAINST VIOLENCE: Besu students write posters during their demonstration in front of Metro cinema on Monday. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

Students of Bengal Engineering and Science University (Besu) held a demonstration in front of Metro cinema on Tuesday, protesting the “inaction” of the university authorities that “has led to” repeated unrest on the campus.

Students’ spokesperson Shyamasish Das said: “The authorities are being partial and not taking steps to stop the violence on the campus. As a result, repeated clashes have broken out and the image of the university is getting tarnished at a time when the upgrade process is on.”

Eleven Besu students surrendered at the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Howrah on Tuesday. They were booked under sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 143 (unlawful assembly), 323 (voluntarily causing injury), 325 (causing grievous injury) and 506 (criminal intimidation). All were granted bail.

The vice-chancellor, registrar, hostel superintendents and members of the board of management met on the campus during the day.

Regarding students submitting blank answer scripts in the mid-semester exams, registrar Biman Bandopadhyay said: “The controller of examinations has been asked to scrutinise the papers thoroughly and submit a report to the board of management. Those who have written protest notes on answer scripts will be punished according to rules.”

Blaming the SFI for creating an atmosphere of terror on the campus, Das alleged: “The SFI has submitted a petition to the Union HRD ministry to set up a unit on campus… The university should be kept free of politics.”