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Trinamool minister hits back at professor over allegations
Hitting back at the professor who had accused a Trinamool Congress leader of hurling a water-filled jug at her, a West Bengal minister on Friday said she had not filed any police complaint so far about the incident.
Kolkata: Hitting back at the professor who had accused a Trinamool Congress leader of hurling a water-filled jug at her, a West Bengal minister on Friday said she had not filed any police complaint so far about the incident and was also facing charges of harassment from her tenant.
Claiming that the incident involving the professor Debjani De had been blown out of proportion in the media, Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee, however, said the Trinamool Congress would definitely look into any allegation of misdemeanour against its party leader Arabul Islam. "Till now no FIR has been lodged with the police and the allegation of assault, if any, has not been intimated to the police, but to the media," Mukherjee told reporters here.
"If the lady professor was hurt, she could have gone to the police which she has not done. She has gone to the media instead," he said.
De had alleged that Arabul abused her and threw a water-filled jug at her during a meeting to discuss punctuality of teachers at the Bhangor Mahavidyalay college in South 24 Pargagnas on Monday and had threatened to take it up with the West Bengal College and University Teachers` Union. Arabul had dismissed the professor`s complaint as a "CPI(M) conspiracy" to tarnish his image and that of the party.
He claimed he had gone to the college to discuss with teachers how to stop late attendance by some of them, while labelling the lady professor as a "hardcore CPI(M) supporter".
Mukherjee later produced a tenant of a house owned by the professor who alleged before reporters that he was a victim of harassment by the professor.
"Debjani, her WBCS officer husband and other family members tried to throw us out of the house using pressure tactics," the 62-year-old tenant, Debashish Ghosh, alleged.
"I also have a mentally retarded son," he said. The minister said that the tenant had filed eight complaints against the professor with the New Alipore police station between 2011 to March 2012.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress student wing chief Shankudev Panda`s reported diktat to college teachers not to support the CPI(M) added grist to the mill.
Mukherjeesaid any person had the right to pursue any political agenda, "but that should not have any reflection in their professional duty".
Veteran educationist Sunanda Sanyal, a one time associate of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee during her movement in Singur and Nandigram, termed the controversy as `unfortunate`.
"This is not the change that we struggled to rid the state of the CPI(M). This is not the real change we wanted," Sanyal said.
Recently, Food Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Jyotipriya Mullick had created a flutter by asking partymen not to marry into CPI(M) families, be friends with them or even gossip with them in tea stalls.
PTI
Claiming that the incident involving the professor Debjani De had been blown out of proportion in the media, Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee, however, said the Trinamool Congress would definitely look into any allegation of misdemeanour against its party leader Arabul Islam. "Till now no FIR has been lodged with the police and the allegation of assault, if any, has not been intimated to the police, but to the media," Mukherjee told reporters here.
"If the lady professor was hurt, she could have gone to the police which she has not done. She has gone to the media instead," he said.
De had alleged that Arabul abused her and threw a water-filled jug at her during a meeting to discuss punctuality of teachers at the Bhangor Mahavidyalay college in South 24 Pargagnas on Monday and had threatened to take it up with the West Bengal College and University Teachers` Union. Arabul had dismissed the professor`s complaint as a "CPI(M) conspiracy" to tarnish his image and that of the party.
He claimed he had gone to the college to discuss with teachers how to stop late attendance by some of them, while labelling the lady professor as a "hardcore CPI(M) supporter".
Mukherjee later produced a tenant of a house owned by the professor who alleged before reporters that he was a victim of harassment by the professor.
"Debjani, her WBCS officer husband and other family members tried to throw us out of the house using pressure tactics," the 62-year-old tenant, Debashish Ghosh, alleged.
"I also have a mentally retarded son," he said. The minister said that the tenant had filed eight complaints against the professor with the New Alipore police station between 2011 to March 2012.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress student wing chief Shankudev Panda`s reported diktat to college teachers not to support the CPI(M) added grist to the mill.
Mukherjeesaid any person had the right to pursue any political agenda, "but that should not have any reflection in their professional duty".
Veteran educationist Sunanda Sanyal, a one time associate of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee during her movement in Singur and Nandigram, termed the controversy as `unfortunate`.
"This is not the change that we struggled to rid the state of the CPI(M). This is not the real change we wanted," Sanyal said.
Recently, Food Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Jyotipriya Mullick had created a flutter by asking partymen not to marry into CPI(M) families, be friends with them or even gossip with them in tea stalls.
PTI