West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (File Image: PTI)
Viswabharati had sent an eviction notice to Sen on April 19, asking him to vacate 13 decimals of the 1.38 acres of his residence within May 6.
Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee An official said state ministers have been asked to start a sit-in outside Nobel laureate Amartya Sen’s residence at Santiniketan in Birbhum district to protest against Visva-Bharati’s eviction notice.
During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Banerjee asked local MLA, MSME Minister Chandranath Sinha to lead the protest, which would include Education Minister Bratya Basu and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim.
He told them that they would not move from the spot even if the Central University authorities sent bulldozers to take possession of the land.
According to officials, he told the ministers that Baul and other folk artistes of the district should participate in the performance and various cultural programs should be organized there.
The official quoted him as saying that singer Kabir Suman and painter Subhaprasanna would also attend the program on May 6 and 7.
“The Chief Minister advised them not to move an inch even if Visva-Bharati sends bulldozers to take possession,” he said.
Banerjee had said last week that she would start a sit-in at Shantiniketan over the issue.
Viswabharati had sent an eviction notice to Sen on April 19, asking him to vacate 13 decimals of the 1.38 acres of land at his residence within May 6.
The university claims that Sen has 1.38 acres of land in the Santiniketan campus, which is more than his legal entitlement of 1.25 acres. The economist had earlier claimed that most of the land he owned in the Santiniketan campus was bought by his father from the market, while some other plots were taken on lease.
Established by Rabindranath Tagore in 1921, Visva-Bharati is the only central university in West Bengal, and the Prime Minister is its Chancellor.
Banerjee had handed over the land related documents to Sen during her visit to the Nobel laureate’s residence in January when he was at Santiniketan.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)