PHAGWARA: A day after violent protests rocked Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, the campus remained peaceful on Monday as students began leaving for home following a 10-day suspension of classes, while Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav warned that those involved in vandalism would face strict action.Traffic on National Highway-44, which had remained blocked for more than 15 hours, was also restored.Heavy police deployment continued at the university, located along the Jalandhar-Phagwara highway, as students carrying bags and suitcases were seen leaving the campus. Anxious parents also arrived to take their children home.The campus, however, bore signs of Sunday’s violence, with damage to property visible at several places. Many students blamed outsiders for the vandalism and maintained that those involved were not students.
Students leave campus after classes suspended
LPU suspended classes for 10 days from Monday, while midterm examinations were postponed until further notice. The university allowed students to return home after consulting their parents or guardians.Those who chose to remain on campus were advised to stay inside their hostels or places of residence and avoid unnecessary movement or involvement in any “unrest activities” in the interest of their safety.A girl student from Punjab said the situation was normal on Monday and that students were returning home while police remained deployed on campus. She blamed outsiders for damaging property and said college students had not vandalised anything.A student from Bihar described Sunday’s situation as “scary”, saying normalcy returned only after police entered the campus. He too blamed outsiders for the violence and maintained that students had been holding a peaceful protest.Another girl student repeated the claim that outsiders had damaged property on the campus.
DGP warns vandals of strict action
At the instance of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, DGP Gaurav Yadav visited LPU on Monday to take stock of the situation.Yadav said police had tried to address the students’ grievances against the university administration by facilitating discussions between the two sides.Referring to Sunday’s violence, he called it unfortunate and said some elements had tried to disturb the atmosphere and pelted police vehicles with stones.“Police used a lot of restraint. It was an effort of police (knowing) that students are like our children. And their grievances are resolved. Mostly, they relate to the university administration. Meetings were arranged,” he said.Yadav said those involved in vandalism would face action and that CCTV footage was being analysed.He also said an FIR had been registered over the alleged rape claim and an SIT formed to conduct a detailed investigation. LPU, however, has described the claim that the crime took place on campus as “rumours”.
Women panel takes suo motu cognisance
In a related development, the Punjab State Women Commission took suo motu cognisance of protest incidents at LPU and Chitkara University in Patiala, both of which followed unverified claims.The LPU protest was linked to an alleged rape of a student by an outsider, while the Chitkara University protest followed claims that two female students had died by suicide on campus.The commission sought detailed reports from the respective district and police administrations, including copies of FIRs and details of safety measures for students on the campuses.
BJP targets AAP government
BJP leader and former Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu accused the AAP government in Punjab of sending miscreants to LPU ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s rally in Jalandhar on September 30.“After Sh. Ashok Mittal left AAP, the party allegedly hatched a sinister plan to force LPU to shut down,” Bittu alleged in a post on X late Sunday night.Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal is the founder chancellor of LPU.
Heavy force deployed after campus violence
On Sunday night, a heavy police force led by ADGP M F Farooqui entered the campus, following which senior officers and other personnel carried out a flag march.The violence followed a protest that began near Girls’ Hostel-3 early Sunday over claims that an outsider had raped a female student on the university premises.Students later vandalised property and blocked a stretch of the New Delhi-Amritsar highway. Another wave of violence broke out on Sunday evening, when protesters allegedly pelted police personnel with stones and attacked their vehicles, leaving several cops injured.Some objects were also set on fire, according to purported visuals of the protest.Viral videos on social media showed protesters, purportedly students, damaging window panes and flower pots on the campus and setting some objects on fire, with cries of “we want justice” heard in the background.The LPU campus violence came a day after students of Chitkara University in Patiala allegedly set a police vehicle on fire over unverified claims that two female students had died by suicide on the university premises.(With PTI inputs)
