West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar justified his action last evening to rush to the Jadvapur University and rescue Union minister Babul Supriyo gheraoed by a section of students and regretted the criticism by state education minister and Trinamul Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee.

“The issue of serious lapses by the university Vice Chancellor, including virtual abandonment of his obligations, and apparent failure of the state police administration in attending to the situations appropriately and inadequate security arrangements for the governor during his visit are receiving his attention for way forward steps,” a Raj Bhavan Press release issued stated.

The governor said Mr Chatterjee wasn’t aware of his interactions with chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the director general of police before he went to the university and wrongly accused him of keeping the state government in the dark about his plan.

“The Governor and Chancellor, Jadavpur University, has expressed his relief that as a result of his visit yesterday to the university, an end to an unwholesome situation was brought about,” the Raj Bhavan stated.

The visit was “rendered imperative” as the Vice Chancellor and pro-Vice Chancellor had left the university while Union minister Babul Supriyo continued to be detained by the agitating students.

The governor in his capacity as chancellor, “being guardian of the students” took the call “so as to connect with the students in the interest of education and institution,” the Raj Bhavan explained.

Before his visit to the University, the Governor and Chancellor, exhausted all possible avenues that could bring an end to the unsavoury spectacle by flagging the issue to the DGP and the Chief Secretary.

“As a final step before going, the governor took initiative in connecting with the chief minister and duly apprised her of the grave situation and the consequences it may entail. There were many telephonic interactions between the two and in his high regard that the governor has for the CM, personally and for the office the CM holds, he would not like to divulge the conversation between the two, except that he left for the place after sufficient time had elapsed and the situation did not show any change,” the release stated.

The Governor, the statement said, is conscious of his oath of office and as such he felt it necessary to visit the university and all agencies required to be kept in the loop were informed. “It is unfortunate that the Trinamul secretary general through a Press release stated that the governor hadn’t taken the state Govt into confidence before making a visit.

Obviously he did not know of the developments that took place between the governor and the DGP/ chief secretary as also the conversation with the CM. The stand in the release is factually incorrect,” the Raj Bhavan stated.

He further iterated that being the guardian of all students of the university, his doors are always open for them and interaction would only help their concerns and would be in the interest of the University and education. Stating that he stood by what he had stated yesterday,

Mr Chatterjee said: “Our expectation is that the governor must give justice to Vice Chancellor, professors and students with whom we express our solidarity. The administration played a very peaceful role to resolve the problem amicably. Universities are autonomous institutions and as per time-honoured tradition, police cannot enter university campus without permission of the Vice Chancellor.”