PUNJABI UNIVERSITY SHUTS DOWN TILL OCTOBER 15:
PUNJABI UNIVERSITY:
☛ PUNJABI UNIVERSITY: Authorities shut down the varsity till October 15, a day after a violent clash on the campus left 10 students injured. The clash took place late Tuesday night, during a continuing stand-off between students and university authorities since September 19. The campus was closed Wednesday on account of Agrasen Jayanti. “We have declared a three-day holiday to ensure that there’s no more violence on the campus. We have enough police and personnel of Rapid Action Force to keep the campus secure. Police are doing their job and we don’t want any untoward situation on the campus,” Dr Manjit Singh Nijjar, Registrar of Punjabi University, told Chandigarh Newsline.
☛ Police have also booked seven students of the university on charges of assault, wrongful confinement, rioting and criminal intimidation. Nobody has been arrested yet. A case was registered on the complaint lodged by Amarjeet Singh and a female student, who also figure among the 10 injured and hospitalised in Tuesday’s clash. Those booked include Harwinder Singh Sandhu, former president of Secular Youth Federation of India (SYFI), Lovepreet Singh, president, Students’ Association of Punjab (SAP), Jatinder Jeetu of Organisation of Punjabi University Students (OPUS), Jatin Verma, Vicky Rajput, Tejpreet Singh Sohi and one unidentified student.
☛ Hundreds of students gathered in front of the vice chancellor’s office at Guru Tegh Bahadur Hall and protested against Tuesday night’s violence on the campus. Students also condemned police that reached almost an hour after the clash began in front of Amrita Shergill hostel.
☛ “It’s not only the physical education department’s students who attacked us. Organisations such as NSUI (National Students’ Union of India) and SAP were also involved. This is an attack from the university authorities more than anything else. Girls and boys are being forced to leave as the university is shut for the next two days and the weekend. It’s an attempt to weaken the movement,” said Akash Bansal, a student leader.
☛ A majority of students from the Amrita Shergill hostel also took out a march condemning yesterday’s violence and joined the protesters outside the V-C’s office. With lathis in their hands, they raised slogans of “inquilab” and “nari mukti”. Students were supported by organisations such as Bhartiya Kisan Union Dakonda, Democratic Teachers’ Front and Lok Sangram Manch, among others.
☛ A college teachers’ union, which had been protesting in front of the V-C’s office since October 1, also condemned the violence. “I think the authorities are trying to make students fight each other and they’re doing a good job of it. Ask anyone on the campus and they’ll tell you. This is not a clash, it’s an attack,” said one of the college teachers.
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