Kolkata, Sept. 14 -- A plea seeking an urgent hearing on a pending PIL seeking restrictions on the entry of outsiders into university campuses across West Bengal was moved before a division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Monday, amid renewed concerns over clashes between rival student groups.
The matter was mentioned before the bench of Justice Arijit Banerjee and Justice Reetobroto Kumar Mitra. The court was informed that the PIL, which seeks to keep outsiders away from university campuses, is already pending before another division bench.
The plea is scheduled to be taken up on September 16 by the bench of Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty.
The petitioner has sought a state-wide prohibition on the entry of outsiders into university campuses, arguing that their presence can disturb academic activities and disrupt the functioning of educational institutions.
The plea has gained urgency following recent incidents at Jadavpur University, where activists of the Students Federation of India (SFI) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) were involved in two separate clashes.
Counsel for the petitioner told the court that the issue of outsiders entering Jadavpur University has persisted for a considerable period and has contributed to disturbances on campus. The petitioner has also referred to incidents involving rival student groups at other universities.
The plea contends that the continuing disturbances warrant early judicial consideration to ensure that university campuses remain conducive to teaching and learning.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.