SFI stages protest near Presidency University alleging attack by TMCP

Some of our members were also thrashed on Thursday evening and had to be hospitalised, SFI Presidency University unit spokesperson Adrija Karak told PTI.TMCP state president Trinankur Bhattacharya, however, rubbished the allegations and said it was SFI that has been orchestrating attacks on the members of the ruling partys student wing to prevent it from establishing a base in the varsity.

Activists of CPI(M)'s student wing SFI on Saturday staged a protest near the Presidency University here alleging that some of its members were beaten up by Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) cadre.

Around 100 activists of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) blocked a section of the College Street for one hour in the afternoon demanding arrest of the alleged attackers.

TMCP, on the other hand, rubbished the charges and counter-alleged that it was the SFI that has been attacking its activists to prevent the ruling party's student wing from establishing a base in the university.

SFI has been running the students' union in the university for the last three years, before which its rival Leftist outfit Independent Consolidation (IC) was at the helm.

SFI and TMCP members have clashed several times since Thursday evening after TMCP alleged that several of its posters on the campus were defaced and a couple of its activists beaten up by SFI.

After the alleged incident, SFI claimed that some of its members were thrashed by TMCP late on Thursday night.

A fracas broke out between SFI and IC activists on one side and TMCP cadre on the other at Presidency University on Friday noon.

''TMCP members from outside the university tried to barge into the campus on Friday noon but their attempt failed as varsity security personnel locked the gate from inside. When some SFI members were returning home in the evening, they were beaten up by TMCP cadre near Sealdah Railway Station.

''One of our members, who had taken a video of the incident and put it on social media, was later threatened to delete the post. Some of our members were also thrashed on Thursday evening and had to be hospitalised,'' SFI Presidency University unit spokesperson Adrija Karak told PTI.

TMCP state president Trinankur Bhattacharya, however, rubbished the allegations and said it was SFI that has been orchestrating attacks on the members of the ruling party's student wing to prevent it from establishing a base in the varsity. ''SFI has been burning our flexes and defacing our festoons and posters with a single-point agenda of instilling fear among TMCP members and desisting them from carrying out organisational work. But we will continue with our activities as it is our democratic right to do so,'' he said.

A university official said that the authorities want peace on the campus and don't want any student to get harmed.

A senior police officer said there was no report of any student being hospitalised or lodging of any complaint.