Protesting Panjab University (PU) students have refused to call off their agitation till the Centre formally notifies the Senate election schedule under the pre-October 30 structure.
The Centre had, on November 7, rolled back the controversial notification on Panjab University restructuring after the move met with stiff opposition in Punjab and Chandigarh.
Even after Vice-Chancellor Prof Renu Vig initiated the Senate poll process by forwarding the draft election schedule to the Vice-President and PU Chancellor C.P. Radhakrishnan for approval, students did not budge and dubbed the move as “too little, too late”. They said they would settle nothing short of a formal notification issued by the Centre and published by PU.
The protesting students have also demanded the withdrawal of the case registered against 14 students who were part of the agitation over the Senate polls last year. Avtar Singh, a SOPU leader who is part of the PU Bachao Morcha, said they would not leave the protest site till their demands are met.
Over 200 police personnel are deployed inside and around the campus. All PU gates are partially regulated with internal routes being constantly patrolled.
Meanwhile, several panchayats in Punjab have passed resolutions backing the students and demanding immediate Senate elections under the old structure. The resolutions demanded that PU be formally declared Punjab’s university through legislative changes in the Vidhan Sabha and Parliament.
The PU Bachao Morcha has submitted a charter of demands to the Vice-Chancellor, seeking an assurance in writing that no new administrative decisions would be taken during the Senate election process. It also sought immediate withdrawal of pending cases against students and the scrapping of the vetting committee for speakers.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Renu Vig said the PU administration respects democratic dissent, but academic stability cannot be compromised. “The PU has a proud tradition of intellectual vibrancy and mutual respect. A peaceful and stable environment is essential for research and teaching,” she said.
Also read: Panjab University: Police use force as senate poll protests swell
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