Chandigarh: NSUI protests against PU for not allowing event

While Panjab University (PU) has allowed office-bearers of student parties to come to the campus and hold meetings in their official capacity, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) organised a protest at the university on Tuesday alleging that they were denied permission to hold a meeting at the varsity.
NSUI alleged that they wanted to hold a student interaction with party’s national president Varun Chaudhary on Tuesday, but PU denied permission. They organised a protest outside the vice-chancellor (V-C) office as well.
Former Panjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) president Jatinder Singh said senior leaders of other parties, including Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), who are also outsiders frequently visit PU and hold programmes. He demanded that their event be rescheduled and NSUI shouldn’t be targeted.
The dean students’ welfare (DSW) in a meeting on Monday had finalised that office bearers of student parties will be allowed to enter the PU campus on the condition that they don’t address students and no complaints are received against them. DSW professor Amit Chauhan said in a recently held all-party meeting, police and PU told students to avoid bringing outsider leaders to the campus and to peacefully conduct their campaign. In case of any complaint, a committee will look into what action is to be taken and office bearers of student parties are also likely to face action.
Last year on August 23, a scuffle broke out on campus between the personal safety officer (PSO) of AAP’s Dharamkot MLA Davinderjeet Singh Laddi Dhose and other student parties, who were asking the MLA questions regarding the death of a farmer in Sangrur. This led to PU issuing a ban on the entry of politicians on August 28, the first time such a ban was issued. This year, for now, the university doesn’t want to issue a similar blanket ban but entry of outsiders won’t be allowed after the code of conduct was imposed.
The university is meanwhile tackling such events. Last week, an event that would have featured BJP MP for Bengaluru South Tejasvi Surya also had to be cancelled even after invites were sent out.
People familiar with the matter said different factions of NSUI have tried to get permission to hold events in PU with newly elected Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, however, PU has not budged from its stance.
Former AAP MLA pledges support to SOPU
Meanwhile, former Dhuri MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy came to the PU Students Centre on Tuesday to pledge support for the Students of Panjab University (SOPU) party. While the MLA is currently an AAP member, he said rather than supporting AAP’s student wing CYSS, he has pledged his support to SOPU as he still has a connection with the party.
He described how his polling experience started from the class representative elections in PU and how he has been associated with SOPU since then. While he joined the AAP this year after leaving Congress, he said even then he didn’t associate with NSUI and was instead associated with SOPU.
He also spoke about how reforms are needed in the Lyngdoh Commission Guidelines for the polls, saying that the age limit and attendance requirements can be relaxed. When questioned, PU authorities said SOPU as a non-political student party can hold such events by inviting their leaders.