Kolkata, Sep 9 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari will lead a ‘Gerua Sanman Yatra’ (saffron pride walk) in South Kolkata on Wednesday afternoon to protest against anti-national slogans and graffiti on the Jadavpur University (JU) campus.

Adhikari has repeatedly said he is determined to curb what he describes as anti-national activities on the university campus. He has also blamed the previous Left Front and Trinamool Congress governments in West Bengal for allegedly allowing forces with such mindsets to flourish within JU.

The Chief Minister had last month participated in a programme at the university on Raksha Bandhan, where around 10,000 people sang the full version of “Vande Mataram”. He will now lead another major public rally focusing on the same issue.

The “Gerua Sanman Yatra” is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. from Golpark Crossing in South Kolkata and conclude at the 8B Bus Stand Crossing, near the JU campus. Adhikari is expected to lead the procession throughout its route.

As part of the arrangements, Raja Subodh Chandra Mallick Road will be temporarily closed to traffic during the procession. The JU authorities have also decided to keep four of the university’s main gates closed from 4 p.m. on Wednesday. Gate No. 1 will remain open for the entry and exit of students, faculty members, and other university staff.

The university authorities have not stated the specific reason for closing the gates. However, the decision is widely seen as a precautionary measure amid apprehensions of possible disturbances inside or outside the campus during the rally.

The Kolkata Police have also put in place extensive security arrangements, both to protect the Chief Minister and to prevent any untoward incident during the procession.

Tension had escalated at JU last month following a general body meeting, with clashes breaking out between activists of the CPI(M)’s student wing, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

The confrontation triggered protests by both student groups and led to further unrest on the campus. Subsequently, the BJP organised a protest meeting outside the university, which was addressed by Adhikari.

–IANS

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