The first open house session organised by the North Bengal University to facilitate communication between the varsity and its stakeholders ended in chaos on Wednesday as some groups and political parties resorted to protests over the issue of the varsity allegedly handing over some of its land to the state tourism department.

More than 800 people, including students, research scholars, teachers, officials, alumni and local people attended the meeting at the Rabindra-Bhanu Mancha.

From the start of the first session of the open house, there was chaos. Initially, people objected to the lack of space as many students and other invitees could not get inside the auditorium and stood outside.

As the session commenced amid bedlam, the situation became tense as supporters of the BJP and Congress, as well as other groups resorted to protests on the land handover issue.

Over the past few months, protests were raised from various quarters that the varsity was trying to hand over around five acres of its land to a private party through the state government for an institute with courses on hospitality and tourism.

Varsity authorities, however, have time and again denied the charge.

Pranab Ghosh, director of the research and development cell and former registrar, said that when all the seats were full, some in the audience were allowed to sit on the dais to make the event more interactive.

“The proceedings were continuing in a systematic fashion till the question-answer segment started,” said Ghosh. However, immediately, a small group of “mostly outsiders” attempted to disrupt the proceedings, Ghosh said. “They snatched the microphone, shouted slogans, and walked up to the stage to stop the open house,” he added.

Participants at the NBU’s first open house on Wednesday Pictures by Passang Yolmo

Sources said that as the mayhem continued, representatives of the Uttar Banga Viswavidyalaya Bachao Manch (UBVBM), a “saveNBU” forum that comprises professors, students, employees, and ex-students, conducted an NBU open house referendum elections outside the hall on the land handover issue. This led to more confusion.

Eventually, the open house ended at the auditorium and its second session was held at Franklin Hall in the department of bioinformatics, where around 200 people from four different departments participated.

NBU vice-chancellor Om Prakash Mishra claimed the open house was successful.

“We received an overwhelming response in the first open house. We will hold more such sessions in the future. I assured research scholars and teachers that instrumental facilities in departments would be improved. In the next few days, such sessions will be held with other departments. The department-wise open houses will be more interactive,” added vice-chancellor Mishra.