Governor M.K. Narayanan apologised to the students of the Presidency University stating that he had “failed its students by not being able to protect them from violence on campus”. Mr Narayanan, who is also the chancellor of the university, apologised more than once to the students and regretted to have failed to prevent the vandalism of the Baker Laboratory.

He termed the incident as a “blot on our hopes for the future.”
Addressing the students, the Presidency University chancellor further said that he was not in the college to blame any political party but to provide support to the students.
“At the outset I wish to apologise to students of all universities of Kolkata and Bengal for what has happened. It is unprecedented and should never have happened. I accept that as a governor and chancellor, I have failed in my responsibility,” Mr Narayanan said at an interactive session with the students of the varsity.
However, he also said that “others too have to share the blame”.
Expressing his concern about the safety of the girl students, Mr Narayanan elaborated that, “We believed Bengal was the safest place for girls and women…but I do not know what has happened to the culture.”
“Being the chancellor I want to share the pain you have suffered. I hope my presence brings some solace to you,” he added.
“I will wait for what the police investigation reveals. How the goons entered the university premises. For next few weeks, I will try to put in place a mechanism so that you do not undergo such a trauma,” he said.
“I will concentrate (on) how protective measures can be put in place and what can be done to assure the students that it will not recur,” the chancellor stressed.
Advocating more police presence in university campuses, the former national security advisor said, “My only request to students is to call for more police presence in the campus for better protection.”
Answering to a student’s concern over the pro-activeness of the police in favour of the state government, Mr Narayanan said “Even the worst policeman on the street is a bulwark against vandalism. You cannot condemn every policeman. Please try to have some degree of faith on the institution of governance.”
Significantly, expressing his views about the denial of the Trinamul Congress that their members were involved, the governor said, “This is usually the practice. The political party that is involved in it is denying it... I owe it to you and I am great admirer of the university. I assure you that over the next few weeks we will try to put in a system where this cannot happen again.”
Expressing his views on another question put forward by a student over VC being targeted by the ruling government, the chancellor said, “You have an outstanding vice chancellor. I had some role of having appointed her. Across the world, attacking a persona or an individual has become a phenomenon. You are never complimented for what you do.”
The governor went around the Baker Laboratory with vice-chancellor Malabika Sarkar and departmental heads.
He visited the university following a student-teacher delegation urging him to see for himself the extent of damage as also on a request by the vice-chancellor.