Babul assures JU attacker's mother of no harm

 The mother of Debanjan Ballav, who was seen purportedly pulling Union Minister Babul Supriyo's hair during the Jadavpur University disturbances here on Thursday, has apologised to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader. Supriyo assured the aged woman that he won't harm her son.

On Friday, Supriyo had tweeted Ballav's photograph and posted: "This is the guy who led the assault in #JadavpurUniversity. we will find him out and then see what @MamataOfficial does to him in terms of charging him for assault without ANY PROVOCATION whatsoever from our/my side".

Rupali Ballav told Supriyo in a video that has become viral that she has brought her son up after much hardship and appealed to the Minister not to 'harm him'. "I want to tell Babulda that I have brought him up after much hardship. Please don't harm him," she was seen pleading with folded hands in the video.

In reply, Supriyo addressed her as aunty, and told her not to worry. "Aunty, don't worry. I won't harm your son. I want him to learn from his mistake."

Supriyo said he had not filed any FIR against anybody after the Jadavpur University happenings. "I haven't filed any FIR against anybody, nor have I allowed others to do so. Please don't be worried. Get well soon. Please accept my regards," said Supriyo.

On Thursday, the university plunged to an unprecedented lawlessness with Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar rushing in with a large police force after Supriyo was heckled, slapped and detained for hours by pro-Left students.

Supriyo had gone to the campus to attend a freshers' welcome event and address a seminar, organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

Around 7 p.m, the Governor reached the campus and rescued Supriyo in his car. But he too was stranded for close to an hour at the premises as the radical Left protestors held a sit-in and block his exit.

The police took the Governor and Supriyo out of the campus by taking a circuitous route to the Raj Bhavan.

Before the Governor rescued Supriyo, ABVP activists -- armed with sticks, rods and bamboo poles -- went on rampage on the campus ransacking a union room. They also thrashed a shopkeeper and set fire to tyres.IANS