Scuffle breaks out on PU campus over AAP MLA’s presence, no injuries

The MLA’s presence on campus was, however, strongly objected to by supporters of several students unions — including the Students Organisation of India (SOI), and Indian Students Association, among others — who claimed that the presence of an MLA would give the upcoming PU students’ body polls a political twist and influence students.

The students later resorted to raising anti-Punjab government slogans and demanded a ban on the entry of MLA Devinderjeet Singh Laddi Dhos. Some of the students also questioned the MLA over the farmers agitation and the death of a farmer in Sangrur on Monday.

The situation turned tense later when members of CYSS started raising pro-Punjab government slogans, leading to a minor scuffle between students of various groups.

The security personnel of PU and Chandigarh Police, who were present on spot, immediately intervened and controlled the situation.

The PU students’ council elections are expected to held in the first week of September.

Later, Navaldeep Singh, chairman of CYSS, lodged a police complaint against leaders of SOI and ISA at Sector 11 police station. Police said that no one was injured in the clash and by the time the scuffle broke out, the MLA had already left the campus.

Station Head Officer of Sector 11 Police Station, Inspector Malkit Singh, said, “We have received the complaint. No one was injured. The matter is under investigation. Student leaders against whom the complaint was lodged will be questioned. The law and order situation in PU is under control.”

Navaldeep Singh said, “We have filed a police complaint against two leaders of SOI and one leader of ISA, along with several unknown people for making an attempt of assault us. The people named in teh complaint were all outsiders. MLA Devinderjeet Singh Laddi Dhos is the president of the youth wing of the AAP. Our students’ wing, CYSS, is contesting this student body elections under his leadership. He came to campus for facilitating the joining of some students into CYSS. Earlier too, politicians of various parties have come to PU’s campus. The Opposition are losing ground. They are making issues out of nothing. Today too, they raised slogans against our party. We ignored them. When we, along with MLA Devinderjeet Singh Laddi Dhos, were returning from the students’ centre, a scuffle broke out between them and some of our volunteers. I have filed a complaint at Sector 11 police station regarding the same.”

Contacted, MLA Dhos said, “Being the election in-charge of CYSS, it is my duty to supervise the programs of my party’s student wing. I had gone to the campus on Tuesday too and I will go tomorrow [Thursday] also to facilitate the joining of more students into CYSS. Prominent student leaders of all the main student unions — including NSUI, SFA etc — have joined the CYSS. The Opposition want to postpone the students’ body elections by creating unnecessary issues in the name of law and order.”

A student leader of Students For Society (SFS), Sandeep, who was present at the protest site on Wednesday when the scuffle took place, said, “The PU campus is for students. The upcoming elections are for students. The AAP is trying to turn the polls political by sending its MLAs to campus. The AAP MLA came to PU to influence the students.

On one hand, the AAP is killing farmers, blocking social media accounts of journalists, activists, on the otherhand their MLA comes to PU and says on campus that they will bring Inqilab (revolution) in the university. The entry of MLAs should be banned in PU.”

PU security in-charge, Vikram Singh, was not available for a comment on the issue. A PU official, on condition of anonymity, however, said, “PU security personnel along with Chandigarh Police were present at the students’ centre when they [the students] started raising slogans. The security personnel immediately intervened averted a major clash.”