Bolpur (West Bengal): Amid allegations of illegal occupation of its land against Nobel laureate Amartya Sen by the Visva Bharati University authorities, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday and handed over land documents to him. The Chief Minister visited Sen's residence in Bolpur and summoned the local Land Reform official.
She handed over the documents to Sen after examining them herself. She also said that the State Government will provide Z plus category security to Sen. Dubbing the allegation raised against Sen by the Visva Bharati authorities as "baseless", the Chief Minister said that she is offended by the way Sen has been insulted adding that she will see the matter to its end.
" I feel offended with the way Amartya Sen has been insulted. I have given him the original documents of the land. Now, let them (University authorities) do what they went. I will see the matter to its end," said Banerjee.
During her meeting with Sen, the Chief Minister urged him not to be pained over the issue adding that the allegations raised against him have not gone down well with the people of West Bengal.
" Please don't get pained over the issue. The way you have been insulted has not gone down well with the people of West Bengal. I have tolerated this for long enough. The State government has conducted a survey of the land and this is the original document," the Chief Minister told Sen.
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Lashing out at the Visva Bharati authorities over the issue, the Chief Minister said that no one has the right to insult him (Sen) in the name of saffronization. Banerjee also took a dig at Visva Bharati Vice Chancellor Vidyut Chakraborty, without directly naming him, and asked whether he was qualified to hold the post.
Earlier in an interview with ETV Bharat Sen criticised the functioning of the Visva Bharati University and the actions of the Vice Chancellor. Soon after Sen's comments a letter from the deputy registrar of the Visva Bharati University said the residence of noted economist Amartya Sen has been built on an area that covers extra 13 decimals of land at Santiniketan in the Birbhum district of West Bengal.
The Visva Bharati University also said that it was ready to undertake a joint survey with their representatives and the surveyor or advocate deputed by Amartya Sen to verify the claims if he wanted.
