‘Roll back FIR’: Students block PU gate number 2

Traffic chaos ensued at Panjab University as gate number 2 facing Sector 15 was shut for around five hours on Tuesday by protesting students who are demanding that senate elections be declared and the FIR registered against them for attempting to disrupt Bhagwant Mann’s event at PU on November 13 be taken back. This happened even as exams were scheduled in PU on Tuesday afternoon around the time of the protest.

Students of the Panjab University Bachao Morcha had marched from the protest site at the vice-chanecllor’s office to gate number 2. Earlier in the morning, Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia had come to speak to the students. After reaching near the barricades there was a standoff with the Chandigarh police with deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Harjeet Kaur the officer in charge here.

With slogans of ‘Jo Bole So Nihal’, the students rushed the cops, and the cops had to resort to light caning to restrain the students who eventually sat right beside the gate till around 5 pm. No major injuries were reported either amongst the cops or the protesters. Student leader Sikander Boora had also rushed against PU chief of university security Vikram Singh, but the matter was resolved between them.

Dean students’ welfare (DSW) Amit Chauhan visited the spot and assured the students that there has been no lapse from PU’s side regarding holding the senate elections. After the students interacted with both the DSW and DSP Kaur, Chauhan assured the protesters that they will take legal opinion on taking back the FIR to not harm the students.

The morcha has now written a letter to the DSW to issue a fresh schedule for the senate elections and to quash the FIR. The DSW has forwarded the letter to the PU registrar for his consideration.

Don’t hold hollow celebrations on Constitution Day: Majithia to centre

Bikram Singh Majithia came to the protest site holding a copy of the constitution.

“On this day I would urge Modi and the Punjab government not to give just hollow and superficial respect to the constitution and to understand its spirit regarding people’s right to vote and elections. By not conducting elections for the senate, the centre is restraining the thinking of our freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh and Udham Singh.” He added that it is unfortunate that the Punjab CM is not ready to listen to the children of the varsity and the police on his directions are registering FIRs against the students. He spoke about the importance of the senate which has been in Panjab University since 1882, when ‘Charhda Punjab’ and ‘Lehnda Punjab’ were both together.

Women’s panel writes to SSP over senate protest FIR

Following complaints, the Punjab State Women’s Commission has forwarded the complaint of social activist from Punjab, Samita Kaur to the UT senior superintendent of police (SSP) and asked that a report regarding the police’s investigation into the complaint be submitted to the commission by November 28.

The letter has been sent by the deputy director of the commission. They have also asked that Harpuneet Kaur and other female students of the morcha to get in touch with the SSP for further inquiry into their complaint.

In the complaint, Samita Kaur had written about the manhandling and alleged lathi charge on female students by male police officers on November 13. Kaur had sought the commission’s intervention in the matter and asked that action be taken against the officer in charge DSP Gurmukh Singh and alleged it is a misuse of power as under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act.