A fresh controversy erupted in Visva-Bharati campus on Saturday over the location of the new protest venue of students, which they set up after the Calcutta High Court’s order on Friday that asked the police to remove agitating students from outside the residence of vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty.

Sources in the varsity administration said Ashok Mahato, the officiating registrar of Visva-Bharati, wrote to the police informing that the new dais of the protesting students was set up within the 50 meters of the campus, violating the high court order.

Students claimed the new dais was set up keeping in mind the court order.

Police, however, sided with the students.

In his order, Justice Rajasekhar Mantha of Calcutta High court on Friday directed Santiniketan police to disperse with immediate effect the agitating students from Visva-Bharati campus, particularly the office and residential area of the VC and surroundings of the administrative building. Justice Mantha had specified a 50-metre distance of the protest from specific locations such as the VC’s home and classrooms, among others.

“The officiating registrar Ashok Mahato wrote to the police as the new place of agitation is 50 metres away from the residence of the VC but within the campus as varsity guest houses are located there. In the order the court asked not to allow protests or demonstrations within 50 metres of any part of the campus,” said a senior varsity official.

Police said after they received Mahato’s letter, they sent a team to measure the distance and found no violation of the court order had taken place.

“In its order, the court never asked to stop the students’ movement... It specified 50 metres from a few places, including the residence of the VC, would be out of bounds for any demonstration... We have measured and found the new place where students are protesting is around 65 metres from all the places mentioned in the order. The guest house is not attached to educational or official activities of the varsity,” said Abhishek Ray, the subdivisional police officer, Bolpur.

In its petition filed in high court, Visva-Bharati authorities had claimed the two entry gates to the central administrative office and central library were locked by students. “While carrying out the court order we found that the allegation was baseless as the security personnel informed that they locked those gates as directed by varsity officials,” said Ray, the SDPO.

Students said they were adhering to the court order.

“We have shifted to a different place which does not violate the court order. Visva-Bharati wants to snatch away the rights of the students and that’s why they are blaming us,” said Somnath Sow, one of the rusticated students.

Students also got support from the ruling Trinamul. A large procession by Trinamul students’ wing was taken out in Santiniketan in support of the protesting students and a group of district and state leaders met the students with food and water to show solidarity.

“The VC is ruining the culture of Visva-Bharati and promoting the agenda of BJP. The students were rusticated for protesting against his whimsical moves. We are with the students and we will continue our movement against the VC to save the institution,” said Jamsed Ali Khan, a Trinamul spokesperson in Birbhum.

The CPM, Congress and several smaller Left outfits have also openly supported the movement of the students.

AIDSO, a students’ outfit of SUCI, also took out a protest rally in Santiniketan to support the protest. “It may be a small platform but all anti-BJP parties and students’ wings came together to protest against the saffron agenda of the VC,” said Rituparna Sinha, a state general secretary of Trinamul Chhatra Parishad.

A group of people from Bengal Against Fascist RSS-BJP, who were behind the No vote to BJP campaign before Assembly polls, also met the agitating students on Saturday afternoon and held two protest meetings in Santiniketan, demanding the rustication of the students be revoked.

“We can’t let BJP and RSS use Tagore’s abode to promote their divisive agenda,” said Kushal Debnath, the convener of the forum.