Several academics, students and public figures came together in the city on Sunday to protest an alleged attempt by Visva-Bharati authorities to defame economist Amartya Sen by engineering a land controversy.

Many felt that the real motive was to silence Sen because of his arguments against certain policies the Narendra Modi government. Some saw in the controversy an attempt at cultural hegemony over Bengal.

“How can I, being a Bengali, tolerate the insult to Amartya Sen? I have taken a stand on my own. The actions of the university have hurt my sentiments,” said Rimona Das, a third-year student of the Sarojini Naidu College for Women in Dum Dum.