Kolkata: A feud between rival factions within Trinamool’s student wing over control of Saraswati Puja arrangements has escalated into a major controversy in West Bengal. What began as an internal power struggle has now become an ammunition for the opposition BJP to further its divisive agenda in the state.
The recent controversy at Kolkata’s Jogesh Chandra Law College underscores how political lumpenism – characterised by intimidation, threats, and the unchecked influence of Trinamool Congress (TMC) cadres in West Bengal’s educational institutions – has become a recurring embarassment for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government.
The dispute started over an internal disagreement about puja arrangements. Day College students allegedly erected a pandal that obstructed the Law College’s planned puja. Students alleged that Sabir Ali, an alumnus and student leader of Trinamool Congress Chatra Parishad (TMCP) along with outsiders, threatened them with rape for their initiative.
A student then petitioned the Calcutta High Court, which ruled that separate pujas should be held for the Day College and Law College departments. The court also ordered police to dismantle an illegally erected pandal within the Day College premises.
‘Political circles are falsely framing it as Muslims opposing the puja’
While Kolkata has seen colleges guarded by gun-carrying police during elections, the scale of security for a religious-cultural event like Saraswati Puja marked a stark departure from the norm. Inside the premises, students proceeded with the puja under stringent security. A modest pavilion nearby was surrounded by posters outlining various demands. Students clustered in groups, apprehensive of threats from outsiders.
“Saraswati Puja is taking place under police barricades following a court order. Political leaders are arriving, only to be met by protesting students. Nowhere else in the world would a cultural and religious festival for students face such turmoil!” lamented law student Simantini.
Posters outlining various demands at the Saraswati Puja held at Jogesh chandra College. Photo: Joydeep Sarkar
Deshmita Ghosh, a student at Jogesh Chandra College, said, “Saraswati Puja is a unifying festival here. Basant Panchami holds a special connection with young people, which is why students are so passionate about it. Never before has this festival faced legal hurdles or restrictions.”
Students at the law college have accused outsiders affiliated with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of routinely entering the campus to intimidate and harass them. However, amid the turmoil, students and officials denied communal angles.
Koushik Banerjee, a student, stressed, “The issue is outsider ‘dadas’ threatening to cancel the puja if their dominance isn’t accepted. Political circles are falsely framing it as Muslims opposing the puja.”
The controversy has put Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee – an alumna of the college – in an uncomfortable position. In a bid to control the fallout, senior TMC leaders, including Education Minister Bratya Basu, were deployed to the college.
BJP draws parallel with attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh
However, his arrival was met with slogans of “We want justice!” from agitated students. Female students, who reported receiving rape threats, broke down in tears while confronting the visibly uncomfortable minister.
“We’re scared of outsider troublemakers, not any community,” shared Sunayna, a student attending the event.
“The entire issue was triggered by the college principal, who is also a BJP spokesperson. There were indeed tensions among students, but the puja was conducted peacefully under police security as per the court’s order. Police were deployed to prevent clashes. I visited the college myself, and no student from any side has reported religious conflict,” stated Education Minister Basu.
For the BJP, West Bengal’s principal opposition party, the incident has fuelled its broader political narrative. Senior BJP figures, including Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and state president Sukanta Majumdar, swiftly drew parallels between the college controversy and recent attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh – a strategically charged comparison in a state where cross-border communal tensions remain a sensitive issue.
To protect the Saraswati Puja from threats posed by external fundamentalist forces, the Calcutta High Court had ordered strict police security at Jogesh Chandra College. However, despite this court directive, those external miscreants continuously threatened the students. As a… pic.twitter.com/z0Nrhqkrts
— Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (@DrSukantaBJP) February 2, 2025
“There is a dispute in a college regarding the location of the puja. Although the puja is taking place due to the intervention of the governing body, this incident is being used for terrible propaganda by portraying it as a religious conflict. This kind of misinformation is not in line with the traditional culture of Bengal,” said Trinankur Bhattacharya, state president of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), the student wing of the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.
Absence of student union elections has led to unchecked power struggles
At the core of the crisis lies a larger issue: the absence of student union elections. Both rival factions at Jogesh Chandra College belong to the ruling party’s student wing.
The dispute is a byproduct of the unchecked power struggles between student factions, often manipulated by external forces seeking control over campus affairs which come with significant financial control and serve as a ladder to political ascendency. Despite the Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s sweeping electoral dominance across West Bengal – from local bodies to state and national elections – the party has avoided holding students’ union elections since 2017.
Education institutions in the state institutions collect fees during admissions and readmissions for student welfare and cultural activities. These funds, which should be managed by elected student unions through formal governing body resolutions, have instead been controlled by unelected local TMC leaders or former student affiliates.
In August last year, during the foundation day of the TMCP, Chief Minister Banerjee instructed Education Minister Basu to initiate preparations for campus elections after Durga Puja, acknowledging the need to restructure the election process to fit the semester-based academic calendar. However, no concrete steps have been taken since, leaving the system in limbo.
“For nearly a decade, the state government has not held student union elections in most colleges. This has allowed outsiders to dominate campuses, manipulating students by twisting common festivals into political disputes. This is the direct result of the government’s flawed policies!” explained Debanjan Dey, State Secretary of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI).
Translated from the Bengali original by Aparna Bhattacharya.
