BJP leader Keya Ghosh posted a video alleging protesters chanting the 'azadi' slogan in West Bengal, thus sparking a controversy.
A row erupted after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Keya Ghosh on Sunday posted a video on X, purportedly showing some students shouting ‘Kashmir Maange Azadi‘ slogans. The protests were reportedly held outside Jadavpur University in Kolkata, by the varsity students. However, there was no official confirmation on the same.
As shown in the video posted by Ghosh, protesters in the state were heard shouting ‘azadi‘. However, they held banners in demand for justice for the trainee doctor who was found raped and murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
“Why the “Azadi” slogan in the procession of ‘Justice for Arjikar’? Who is giving? Whose conspiracy is trying to disrupt the movement with these two-five people?” a rough translation of Keya Ghosh’s post on X suggested.
‘জাস্টিস ফর আরজিকর’ এর মিছিলে “আজাদী ” স্লোগান কেন? কারা দিচ্ছে? কাদের ষড়যন্ত্রে এই দু-পাঁচজন কে নিয়ে আন্দোলনকে ব্যাহত করার চেষ্টা করা হচ্ছে? pic.twitter.com/1WbOBzW4Qq— Keya Ghosh (@keyakahe) September 29, 2024
(News18 could not independently verify the authenticity of the video).
This comes amid protests by doctors in the state, demanding security at hospitals and justice for the murdered trainee doctor.
Meanwhile, as the video caught the attention of other politicians and the local police, sources from within the Kolkata Police Department told CNN-News18 that legal action would be initiated against people seen raising the ‘azadi‘ slogan.
The police also said they were trying to verify the authenticity of the video.
As junior doctors were questioned about the viral video, they told CNN-News18 that they did not hold a rally in front of Jadavpur University.
“We did not hold any rally in front of Jadavpur, so we don’t know anything about this. There is no point of us reacting on this,” the doctors said.
This was not the first time when Jadavpur University gathered attention over protests on its campus.
In February 2016, posters calling for ‘azadi‘ for Kashmir, Manipur and Nagaland were put up at Jadavpur University, only to be torn down by ABVP activists, who also allegedly vandalised the university complex.
