Suvendu Adhikari, the chief minister of WB, talks about JU and eradicating the seeds of naxalism.

Suvendu Adhikari, the chief minister of West Bengal, attacked the left-leaning teachers’ organization at Jadavpur University on Thursday, stating that it was time to “uproot the seeds of Naxalism” in the state.

“We want to make JU into a centre of excellence. The centre will spend ₹1000 crore and the state will give ₹300 crore. You will forcefully take students out of the hostel and raise slogans like Kashmir Maange Azaadi and Bharat Teri Tukde Honge. We will break you into pieces. There has to be a limit. Those who say ‘Red Salute to Kisenji’ have all been identified. Not all of them are students. Those who are engaged in this brainwashing also need some strong medicine,” Adhikari said in the state legislative assembly.

An amendment bill that gives the government the authority to move teaching and non-teaching personnel from one state university to another was passed by the West Bengal Assembly on Thursday by voice vote.

A confrontation between members and supporters of Left student organisations and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the RSS’s student arm, recently made news at Jadavpur University (JU). The chief minister declared that the state government will, if needed, appoint a commission to look into the 1970 campus murder of Gopal Sen, the former vice chancellor of JU.

“We will dig it out. I have made a list of what you did in the past. I have the history of the activities of JUTA members. But we will not use the law in this connection. We will use the law (West Bengal Universities and Colleges Administration and Regulation Amendment Bill 2026) to send the self-proclaimed pandits to some of the newly-opened weak universities to strengthen their infrastructure,” he said.

The Left-leaning Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) refused to comment on the chief minister’s statements in the assembly.

A senior professor of JU and a member of the JUTA, however, said on condition of anonymity: “This new bill is being brought specifically to target the JUTA.”

“You have so much intellect and knowledge on Lenin, Marx, Che Guevara, socialism, farmer and labour rights, equal pay. We want to use these merits from some of the old universities to strengthen the new universities in the state. There shouldn’t be any opposition on this. The staff of these eight universities have huge free time. Now they should go to the newly established universities and develop the laboratories and libraries. We are seeking their help,” the chief minister said.

If any Left parties refuse to write about Durga Puja, he advised the puja organisers not to provide them room for book kiosks. “This is the right time to uproot the seeds of Naxalism which they have sown in West Bengal. Let there be war for three months,” he added.

Additionally, Adhikari defended the statements made earlier this week by religious leader Bageshwar Baba of Madhya Pradesh, who promoted vegetarianism during Durga Puja. A saint had come to Liluah. He spoke like a saint and he expressed his opinion on Nationalism, patriotism and undivided India among other issues. One may or may not accept his views. He didn’t impose anything,” he said.

“I saw some people burning his picture in front of the Bhabanipur police station. I directed the Police Commissioner that those people should be arrested. Such activities cannot continue in this state. You have done enough. There has been enough of appeasement politics,” he said.