Dhankhar attacks Mamata govt on education

Upping the ante against the West Bengal government, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday pulled up the state government for its 'shortcomings' in higher education and alleged that he had to travel 300 km by road to Murshidabad district as the Bengal administration gave "no response" to his request for a helicopter.

"There is no shortcoming among students, there is no shortcoming among professors, there is no shortcoming on the part of the management. If there is any shortcoming that is on the part of the government," Dhankhar said at the silver jubilee celebration of S.N.H. College at Farakka in Murshidabad district.

Dhankhar later alleged that the state government was putting pressure on the vice-chancellors of universities.

"As the chancellor of a large number of universities I have understood that there is a pressure on the vice-chancellors from both the government and the chancellor. I have made it clear to them that we must look at universities as temples," he said.

The Trinamool Congress, however, boycotted the celebration.

"He is being partial to the BJP. So we thought it's better that we don't go," said district Trinamool leader Soumik Hossain.