Targeting of Amartya Sen 'pathetic': Cong on Visva Bharati notice to Nobel Laureate

The Congress on Thursday accused the Modi government of "targeting" Amartya Sen after the Visva Bharati University issued an eviction order asking the Nobel laureate to vacate 13 decimals of land on the campus, which it alleged has been illegally occupied.

The University, in the eviction order, has asked Sen to vacate by May 6 or within 15 days of the publication or the last order on April 19, the land allegedly occupied in an unauthorised manner".

Tagging a media report on the eviction order to Sen, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter, "That the PM will harass and intimidate anyone who is his stern critic is well-known. But his targeting of Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen who was also awarded the Bharat Ratna by Mr. Vajpayee is pathetic."

Contending as per government of India advisories and CAG reports the century-old Central institution was in urgent need of getting control of encroachments and also submit report to the ministry, the notice said, "Amartya Kumar Sen and all concerned persons are liable to be evicted from the said premises, if need be, by use of such force as may be necessary."

"It is decided that 13 decimals of land having the dimension of 50 ft x 111 ft in the north-west corner of the scheduled premises is to be recovered from him," the notice said.

"Thus he can lawfully occupy 1.25 acres of land only, as lesses (for the residual period of lease) in the scheduled premises. He does not have the authority to occupy 1.38 acres of land in the scheduled premises," the notice issued by Joint Registrar Asish Mahato said.

A few days back the Central university had issued another notice to Sen, whose ancestral house 'Pratichi' in Santiniketan is inhabited by the Nobel laureate during his stay there, giving him time till April 19 to respond to the missive and vacate the "unauthorised" portion of land or face necessary action otherwise.