KOLKATA: The historic emblem of Jadavpur University (JU), damaged amid clashes on the campus, was repaired and reinstalled at the institution's Gate 4 on Friday, within 24 hours of the incident.
The emblem, designed by legendary artist Nandalal Bose, was damaged on Thursday when a protest march by members of the RSS-backed ABVP towards Gate 4 turned violent, following clashes between ABVP and Left-leaning student groups on the campus the previous night.
University sources said the damaged metal emblem was repaired and restored to its original position to preserve the heritage of one of the country's premier centres of academic excellence.
The incident occurred after ABVP supporters marched towards Gate 4 from Jadavpur police station. The protesters allegedly broke through police barricades and reached the locked university gate, following which stones and glass bottles were hurled into the campus.
The emblem was allegedly pulled down and thrown over during the confrontation, drawing criticism from sections of the university's teachers and students.
The university on Friday lodged two police complaints in connection with the violence.
One complaint concerned the alleged entry of a crowd into the campus around midnight, an attempt to damage the main gate, setting fire to SFI flags, destruction of festoons and the alleged locking of students inside a building.
"The complaint sought an investigation and asked the police to prevent recurrence of such incidents on the campus," a university official said.
The second complaint concerned the alleged scaling of Gate 4, damage to the historic emblem designed by Nandalal Bose, and the pelting of stones and water bottles, the official said, requesting anonymity.
The SFI and DSO alleged that ABVP activists damaged the emblem while attempting to scale the closed Gate 4.
The ABVP denied involvement in damaging the emblem and instead accused "ultra-left and Naxalite" elements of being responsible. The organisation also alleged that Left student unions and a section of the faculty were attempting to malign it as part of a wider political conspiracy.
The violence at JU followed clashes between ABVP members and Left-leaning student organisations on Wednesday night, with the confrontation spilling onto the streets on Thursday.
