Panjab University: Police use force as protesters gather in large numbers to demand PU senate poll dates | Watch

THe Chandigarh UT constabulary resorted to using canes to disallow protesting students and others onto the Panjab University campus who ar demanding a schedule for the much-delayed PU senate elections, years after the Centre backed shoot down on its displace to replace elected governing bodies with nominated ones.Protesters gathering for a November 10 shutdown call were stopped at the gates but they sought to remove barricades, at which the police reacted with canes. But the protesters largely managed to overwhelm the cops and entered in large numbers to support the ongoing stir.Why is PU seeing protests?Protests for retaining the electoral method for choosing the university's top decision-making bodies, the senate and the syndicate, have continued, even after the central government backed down on its move to turn them into nominated bodies. The protesters, particularly those from Punjab, saw the Centre's move as an assault on the historic university's autonomy and on the country's federal structure.The education ministry had on November 7 rescinded its October 28 notification on the restructuring. However, the Centre’s decision did little to alter the stance of groups agitating under the banner of Panjab University Bachao Morcha.They had announced to continue their protest until the schedule for senate elections was announced, and a shutdown call was thus given for November 10.“The rollback means little without senate elections. The movement is about restoring democracy on campus,” former Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) president Archit Garg had told HT.PUCSC general secretary Abhishek Daggar added, “As long as there’s no clear timeline for elections, our protest will go on.”How Nov 10 protest became focal pointAhead of the Heavy police deployment was made on and around the Panjab University campus here on Monday in the wake of a protest call by students who are pressing for the announcement of Senate polls.Under the banner of 'Panjab University Bachao Morcha', students have been holding a protest against the Centre's now-withdrawn decision to restructure the university's governing bodies -- Senate and Syndicate.Amid students' protests and mounting criticism from political leaders, the Ministry of Education on November 7 withdrew its October 28 order notifying the reconstitution and recomposition of the two bodies.Despite this, the students have refused to end their agitation and have called for a "university shutdown" on Monday to press the government to announce the schedule for the Senate elections, which have not taken place for more than a year.Heavy police deployment was made on and around the campus and the university's entry points were barricaded. Checkpoints were set up on various roads as the authorities braced for Monday's protest.Security personnel have also been deployed at the Chandigarh-Mohali border points.Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) vice-president Ashmeet Singh said all preparations have been made for a peaceful protest.He claimed that many students were being denied entry to PU.The university authorities have already announced holidays on Monday and Tuesday. Only those with university ID cards are allowed to enter the campus.Student leader Abhishek Dagar said there will be a peaceful protest and it will continue till the Senate poll schedule is announced.Several political leaders from the ruling AAP, Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and farmers' bodies, and artists have extended their support to the protesting students.Punjab minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly and Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa, Congress MPs Dharamvira Gandhi and Amar Singh, Congress MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh and former Union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal extended their support to the students on Sunday.The Centre's notification amended the Panjab University Act, 1947, reducing the strength of the Senate, the apex governing body, to 31 from 91, and doing away with elections for its executive body, the Syndicate.When will PU senate elections be held?The previous term of the senate had expired on October 31, 2024, and the university has been awaiting the election schedule from the office of the chancellor, the Vice-President of India, ever since.Over the past year, a draft election schedule has been sent four times to the office of the chancellor by the PU administration, but has seen no response.The demonstration has drawn support from a series of political and religious leaders, including Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann of the Aam Aadmi Party, who termed the Centre's move as the ruling BJP's ploy to take control of Punjab's premier public university away from the state.PU's current structure is seen by many as that of a hybrid Centre-state control and financing.Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal leaders have also visited the protest site over the past few days.Among the leaders who visited were Harjinder Singh Dhami, president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC); Giani Harpreet Singh, president of Shiromani Akali Dal’s breakaway faction; Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh; former Fatehgarh Sahib Kuljit Singh Nagra and former Punjab Youth Congress president Brinder Singh Dhillon.SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal also visited and called for “protecting the sanctity of Panjab University” and criticised the Centre’s handling of the reforms.Dean, student welfare (DSW), Amit Chauhan had held a meeting with leaders of various student organisations — all except the RSS-BJP-affiliated ABVP — to discuss their grievances and their plans for the November 10 university shutdown.Chauhan had urged the students to ensure that no harm came to the university during the agitation, and assured them their concerns will be looked after by the authorities.