KOLKATA: A day before introducing the West Bengal Universities and Colleges Administration and Regulation Amendment Bill, 2026 in the State Assembly, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday vowed to “uproot” ‘anti-national’ forces at Jadavpur University (JU) allegedly raising slogans such as “Kashmir wants freedom” and “red salute”. He asserted that he would not tolerate any insult to the saffron colour.
Addressing a gathering outside the JU campus after leading the scheduled three-km ‘Gerua Samman Yatra’ from Golpark to Jadavpur, the Chief Minister described JU as the land of Sri Aurobindo.
Adhikari made the remarks as his government is set to introduce the West Bengal Universities and Colleges Administration and Regulation Amendment Bill, 2026 in the House on Thursday. The Bill seeks to streamline the transfer policy for teachers of State-aided universities and colleges across Bengal.
The proposed move has triggered controversy, with a section of teachers, including those from JU, opposing the Bill.
“I will not tolerate the insult of saffron. I have given a clear message. The West Bengal Chief Minister knows how to wipe out ‘Kashmir Mange Azadi’ and ‘red salute’ from Jadavpur,” he said at the gathering.
Escalating his attack on the political culture inside university campuses, Adhikari said the State government would bring the Bill in the Assembly.
“I have taken a vow that from Jadavpur, the land of Sri Aurobindo and a centre of excellence, I will uproot those who raise ‘Kashmir Mange Azadi’ slogans and those who have supported the ‘kisan’ (sic) movement,” he said.
“I will come again to teach them a lesson through recitation of the Gita and the Hanuman Chalisa,” he added.
“This is the land of Swami Vivekananda, and saffron will remain here,” he said.
Adhikari also announced a three-day Vedic recital programme and appealed to people to participate in it.
Earlier, dressed in saffron and carrying a saffron flag,Adhikari led the march, in which BJP workers, a large number of monks and Naga Sadhus participated. They were seen raising slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
“We have sacrificed our lives for the country and taken up arms to protect our faith. Why are we being insulted?” a Naga Sadhu asked, thanking Mr. Adhikari for taking up the issue.
The mobilisation comes amid a political and ideological battle at JU, where clashes, graffiti and slogan wars between Left-wing student groups and the RSS-affiliated ABVP have intensified in recent days.
A couple of weeks ago, the Chief Minister had attended a programme outside the campus where several hundred people sang the full version of ‘Vande Mataram’.
On Wednesday, he also attacked the CPI(M)-led Left Front and the Trinamool Congress, accusing them of allowing “nationalism to fade from public consciousness”.
The proposed Bill on the transfer policy for college and university teachers has prompted opposition from teachers backed by the Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association.
They said the move was a direct attack on the university’s autonomy and the job security of its teachers. They argued that every institution has its own rules, regulations and recruitment norms, but the proposed Bill seeks to impose several conditions that they consider illegal.