A CM loyalist,Ahluwalia now out of favour

The development,which has come as a huge embarrassment for the Sikh community as a whole as this is the first institute dealing with Sikh academics,has also started an ugly war of words between Ahluwalia and SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar — the chancellor of the university.

On July 24,Ahluwalia had released a “private advertisement” in certain sections of the media where he had thanked his mentors and family. According to the advertisement,on the eve of the first academic session of the university on July 25,Ahluwalia — who was shot in the head on August 1,2011 — thanked the chief minister for “his deep sense of concern and solace”. He also thanked Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal for “his good wishes for my recovery” and Makkar for his hearty support. Ahluwalia went on to pay his gratitude to his family and his colleagues at the university who stood by him.

Exactly a week later,he was suspended. Ahluwalia is known to have courted controversies in the past as well. Though acquitted by the court later,Ahluwalia was shunted out of the Punjabi University in Patiala after the infamous Saru Rana case broke out. His appointment as the V-C of the first Sikh University did not go down well with a section of Sikh intellectuals. However,Ahluwalia,who enjoyed complete support of the CM,made it to the big chair despite all the opposition.

Dr Balkar Singh,a Sikh intellectual,said: “One thing is clear that each time an IAS officer is made the V-C,the institute is bound to suffer because the general attitude is that they look down upon everyone. This attitude is not so prevalent amongst intellectuals and teachers. This episode is a challenge before the Badal government — with this being the first university related to Sikh academics,we cannot go wrong here. Finding Ahluwalia’s successor will not be an easy task.”