BJP, SFI take out separate protest rallies in Kolkata, claim TMC involved in extorting students for admissions

Kolkata: The BJP and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the CPM on Thursday took out separate rallies in the city to protest against the alleged extortion from students for admission to colleges. The BJP took out a rally from Shyambazar crossing to Maharaja Manindra Chandra college in the afternoon. The BJP demanded immediate arrest of culprits involved in the extortion scam. The BJP accused the West Bengal government of failing to control the “extortion racket” surrounding the admission process in colleges, and alleged that the student leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress are “involved” in it. [caption id=“attachment_4669141” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] “The (state) government has completely failed to control the situation. It is completely unprecedented that students are being asked to pay money for getting admissions in colleges. Where will the students go who can’t afford money?” senior BJP leader Sayantan Basu said. The SFI took out a rally from Sealdah station to the Calcutta University in College street, carrying placards and posters against TMC government. “During the Left regime no one can accuse that students had to face such a situation. Both the TMC government and the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) are hand in gloves in this extortion racket,” an SFI leader said. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had recently said that fees for admissions to colleges will have to be deposited though banks from next year. The CM had also said that the merit list will be the only criteria for admissions. Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar had visited a college in central Kolkata yesterday and spoke to the students and guardians. Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad leadership has maintained that most of them who have been arrested in connection with the extortion are outsiders, and are neither regular students nor part of the students union. Meanwhile, one person was arrested in Hooghly district for allegedly demanding Rs 10,000 to help a student get admission at a college in Singur, police said. The accused is a third-year student of a college in Haripal in Hooghly district, they said.