Ludhiana: Suspended over spat with neta, PAU staffer reinstated
Amrik Singh, who works in the department of plant breeding, was suspended on Monday following a reported altercation with a local leader of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party; Singh had objected to the leader’s unauthorised presence on campus late at night, which he said violated university rules
The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on Thursday revoked the suspension of Amrik Singh, a junior lab assistant, who was suspended following an argument with a senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader on the campus. However, the reinstatement came with a tragic turn of events —Singh’s wife passed away early Thursday morning due to a heart attack, reportedly triggered by stress over her husband’s suspension.
The PAU had invited controversies over the suspension. Moreover, the PAU and police were criticised for turning the campus into a fortress with commissioner of police Swapan Sharma on the field to suppress the peaceful protest initiated by the PAU employees’ union against the suspension on Tuesday. Several union leaders were detained, with some reportedly picked up from their homes—a first in the university’s history.
Amrik Singh, who works in the department of plant breeding, was suspended on Monday following a reported altercation with a local leader of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Singh had objected to the leader’s unauthorised presence on campus late at night, which he said violated university rules.
An order from the registrar’s office, dated April 23, stated that a three-member committee — comprising the registrar, dean of the College of Agriculture, and the estate officer — reviewed Amrik Singh’s request and recommended his suspension be revoked. On Thursday, a follow-up order confirmed that the vice-chancellor had accepted the recommendation and lifted the suspension.
Despite his reinstatement, Amrik Singh said the emotional toll of the ordeal had already taken a devastating toll on his family. His wife, Balbir Kaur, who had been undergoing kidney dialysis for four years, died from a heart attack after learning of his suspension.
“She was already unwell and under stress. The news broke her,” he said.
The police crackdown and subsequent events have sparked outrage among university staff, former academicians, and political leaders. Both the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) labelled the police action as “unprecedented” and “undemocratic,” pointing out that never before had authorities interfered so harshly with a peaceful protest on campus.
Baldev Singh Walia, president of the PAU Employees Union, claimed the suspension was imposed under “political pressure.”
Meanwhile, sources within AAP confirmed the party is considering action against the leader involved in the altercation with Amrik Singh.
Despite repeated attempts, PAU vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal was not available for comments.
