The West Bengal government does not support any excess by the police in dispersing the march by Left-affiliated students union of Jadavpur University (JU) to protest the attack at JNU, state Higher Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said on Tuesday.
He also blamed the BJP for aggravating the situation on Monday night by bringing out a rally all of a sudden which came face to face with the march by JU's students near the university.
Chatterjee said he has discussed with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee the alleged baton charge by the police on the JU students during the incident.
"We are of the view police should show restraint during student protests and not interfere by using force.... Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked the commissioner of police to show restraint," he said when asked to comment.
Chatterjee, who is also the secretary general of the TMC, said the state will always ensure that the police never enters the campus of an educational institution.
He said BJP is trying to prove that they do not need any persmission to take out a rally and supresses dissent by brute muscle power.
On Monday evening SFI activists and members of other Left outfits of JU took out a rally near the university against the attack on students in JNU and came face to face with a march taken out by the BJP.
BJP activists allegedly pelted stones at the Left activists prompting them to burn the flags of the saffron party and the police put up barricades and blocked both the rallies.
As repeated attempts to calm the situation failed, police resorted to baton charge on both the rallies to disperse the protesters.
The police were also seen brutally beating up the protesters, including students and women.
Later on, South Suburban Division Deputy Commissioner of Police Sudip Sarkar said the intention of the baton charge was not to beat up the students.
The SFI has filed a complaint at Jadavpur Police station alleging at least two of its activists were seriously injured in the police action.
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