West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Sunday that the State and Raj Bhavan must not get into each other’s territory on issues such as deciding resignations of vice-chancellors.
Being the Chancellor of the State universities, the responsibility of deciding the resignations of V-Cs should be left to the Governor, Mr. Dhankhar told reporters here on the sidelines of a programme.
“The State government has declared it will not accept the resignation (of the RBU V-C). This is not done. The State cannot take such a decision. This is crossing the limits of one’s domain. We must not get into each other’s territory,” he said.
“What has to be done by the Chancellor, leave it to him,” Mr. Dhankhar said, adding that he has not seen the resignation of the Rabindra Bharati University Vice-Chancellor.
Asked about Mr. Dhankhar’s comments, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said the Governor had rightfully said so.
“The V-C (RBU) should remember he is not employed by Partha Chatterjee. In West Bengal, it has become the trend of V-Cs to go by the words of the Education Minister, even accompanying him to (anti-CAA) dharna (sit-in) manch,” Mr. Ghosh said.
Trinamool Congress leader and Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said the RBU V-C had clearly explained the circumstances behind his decision (to first quit and then withdraw the decision) before the media.
“I should not make further comment,” Ms. Bhattacharya said.
Controversy during fete
RBU vice-chancellor Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury had said on Saturday that he offered to resign following a controversy during the spring festival held on the campus. However, he changed his decision after talking to Education Minister Partha Chatterjee.
Some young men and women who took part in the spring festival on the campus on Thursday allegedly posed with offending words written on their bodies, photos of which went viral on social media and raised a storm.
Meanwhile, Kolkata police has set up a team to probe the matter.