Members of Alapini Mahila Samity on Tuesday accused Visva-Bharati vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty and his administration of trying to destroy the socio-cultural women’s organisation set up at Rabindranath Tagore’s behest in 1916.

The varsity on January 1 sealed its office on the campus after an “arbitrary notice” asking the Samity to vacate the space.

On Tuesday, Samity members protested against a meeting called by the varsity on Monday to break the “impasse”, saying office-bearers had not been invited. Samity president Aparna Das Mahapatra called it a “dirty game”. Varsity authorities said they had no intention to exclude anyone.

The varsity’s Karmi Parishad claimed on Monday that it held a meeting with a “few members of Alapini Mahila Samity” and adopted four resolutions. People considered close to the VC and the varsity administration took part in the meeting, sources said.

Visva-Bharati officiating public relations officer Anirban Sircar posted the resolution of the meeting with names of 36 people, including those of varsity teachers, Karmi Parishad members and a “few members of the Samity”.

A furious Das Mahapatra, 86, said: “We had no information about the meeting and learnt only one of our members took part in it where the varsity authorities adopted four resolutions. This is a blatant attempt by the VC and his administration to form a separate committee...We could never imagine that they would resort to such a dirty game.”

Karmi Parishad members, however, claimed that they had no plan to exclude the present Alapini committee.

“It was a primary meeting. Only a few members of the Alapini Mahila Samity took part in it. We respect the organisation as it is associated with Santiniketan since the time of Tagore. We hope the dispute is resolved soon,” said Kishore Bhattacharya, joint secretary of Karmi Parishad.

Samity members suspect that varsity authorities plan to form a new committee and register it under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, and exclude present members opposed to the “whims” of varsity authorities. Samity members plan a protest rally from Amartya Sen’s house to the VC office on January 8 to protest the “conspiracy to demolish the culture of Santiniketan”.

“We have already requested all women’s organisations and cultural outfits connected with Santiniketan to join our protest. We demand a meeting with the VC and want to question him about his intention regarding our organisation,” said Manisha Banerjee, an executive committee member of Alapini Mahila Samity.