Amid the dharna (sit-in protest) staged to demand the announcement of Punjab University Senate elections, discussions have intensified around the deployment of Haryana police in Mohali and Punjab police near Chandigarh University.
SNPNEWS.IN News (Gurmail Kamboj): Following widespread opposition to the central government’s notification issued on October 28—aimed at amending the Punjab University Senate and delegating most powers to the Vice Chancellor—the central government announced the permanent withdrawal of the notification on November 7. In the midst of these claims, university students decided to stage a dharna and protest on November 10 to demand the announcement of Senate elections, which had been put on hold since 2023.
In response, the university administration declared a holiday on November 8, shut down campus canteens/Gesthouse, and imposed restrictions prohibiting entry without an ID card or pass on November 9-10. To prevent gatherings of students and other organizations, the Chandigarh administration deployed police and security forces on a large scale and barricaded and closed all roads connecting Chandigarh to Punjab.
The university and Chandigarh administration instructed all tent and DJ owners in the UT (Union Territory) to refrain from providing supplies to students. On the night of November 9, a tense atmosphere of push-and-pull persisted between youth and the Chandigarh administration. Student leaders obtained permission from senior Chandigarh police officers and transported stage equipment, DJ setups, and generators to the university past midnight.
Read More: Punjab University Senate Controversy: Protests on Nov. 10, university becomes police cantonment
On November 10, large groups of youth, students, and activists from farmer organizations gathered at Amb Sahib Gurudwara in Mohali, Punjab, announcing their intent to enter the university/Chandigarh. During this time, a private news channel reported the deployment of Haryana police personnel—both male and female—at the entrance of the Gurudwara Sahib in Amb Sahib, sparking widespread uproar. This led to questions being raised about the role of the Punjab government and police.
To defend the stance of the Punjab police and administration in this entire sequence of events, Rupnagar Range DIG Dr. Nanak Singh issued a clarification, stating that Haryana police were not deployed anywhere in Punjab. He explained that the Haryana police contingent shown in TV visuals was “waiting for a bus.” Punjab police coordinated with Chandigarh police but did not set up any barricades at any location in Punjab. Dr. Singh also warned of action against those spreading false news.
Additionally, at Gate No. 1 of the university, a minor scuffle broke out between students and the police administration, after which youth removed the gate and barricades to enter the university. In the afternoon, a youth released a video claiming that Punjab police personnel had carried out a lathi charge on them and attempted to prevent entry into the university. In the video, the youth is seen trying to gather information from the police personnel present about their deployment, to which the personnel responded by moving aside, deeming it better to stay out of sight.
Despite the Chandigarh administration’s barricades and efforts, large numbers of youth and organizational activists entered the university and staged a dharna, demanding the conduct of Senate elections. The protest saw participation not only from current students but also social activists, farmer/Nihang organizations, university alumni, and politicians.
As of the time of writing this report, no agreement has been reached between the university/central administration and the students, leading to the continuation of the dharna inside the university, where they are demanding the announcement of Senate elections.