Union minister Babul Supriyo posted a video on his Facebook and Twitter accounts on Saturday showing the 50-year-old mother of Debanjan Ballabh — a youth caught on camera jostling with the BJP leader during Thursday’s fracas on the Jadavpur University campus — pleading through a stream of tears for the Asansol MP to forgive her son.

Sources said the four-minute video had been recorded on Friday, apparently by ABVP supporters, in Burdwan town where Debanjan’s family lives.

The video shows Debanjan’s mother Deepali, visibly distraught and pleading through a quivering voice for her son to be forgiven. Seated on a bed, Deepali is told by the purported ABVP workers that her son was involved in harassing a central minister and was likely to face consequences.

“Deepali is a breast cancer patient and has been undergoing chemotherapy for three years,” said a neighbour. In the video, the voice of a man can be heard telling Deepali: “The fact of the matter is that, according to social media, your son has put himself in the middle of a statewide controversy. It is a pathetic situation.”

Deepali, whose husband Chandan is a schoolteacher, breaks down at this and says sobbing: “I am afraid.”

The voice can be heard asking the interviewer to “mention Babulda”, prompting Deepali to respond. “Not once did Babulda misbehave with the students at JU,” a person begins. In a quivering voice, Deepali then says: “I am very afraid…. I always tell my son to focus on his career and not get involved in anything.”

“Please tell Babulda that Debanjan’s mother is a big fan ever since she saw his movie Chander Bari,” she goes on to say.

“On humanitarian grounds we wish that your son should succeed in his examinations,” one person says.

At this, Deepali pleads: “Please tell Babulda. Please tell him not to hand my son over to police.”

Supriyo also posted a comment in Bengali that read: “Don’t worry aunty, I will not harm your son. I just want him to learn a lesson from his actions. Neither have I lodged an FIR against your son, nor will I allow anyone to. Please don’t worry, get well soon.”

Sources said local ABVP workers had traced Debanjan’s house and landed up at their modest home. “The parents have not left their home since Friday. Chandan, an accounts teacher at Burdwan town school, has not been going to work out of fear of the media. They have switched off their phones,” a source said.

Asked about the clip, Aniruddha Biswas, the ABVP president of East Burdwan, said: “I know the people who made the video but I can’t reveal their identities without their permission. All I can say is they are like-minded people.”