Former Chandigarh MP flays Panjab University’s V-C for deferring senate polls again

PU senate polls were earlier scheduled to start from August 24, but were postponed for two months

Days after the senate polls of Panjab University (PU) were deferred for a second time, former MP and Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal, who is also a PU senator, spoke out against vice-chancellor Raj Kumar.

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In a tweet, Bansal said, “VC @OfficialPU fires from shoulders of Governor Pb & Administrator UT to smother democracy. Gatherings of 200 people, inter-state travel & assembly sessions are ok, Bihar and 57 other assembly seats go to polls, but senators from Punjab will spread Covid, says UT. (sic)”

PU senate polls were earlier scheduled to start from August 24, but were postponed for two months. On October 15, the varsity had decided to postpone the polls again, seeking fresh advice from the administration. UT in its response had advised the varsity to continue with its decision to defer the polls to avoid the spread of Covid-19.

On Friday, in a letter to the officiating registrar-cum-returning officer of PU, the UT administration had cited a response from the senior superintendent of police: “As the Covid-19 situation in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and Maharashtra is at its peak and the faculty members, who belong to these states, will arrive in Chandigarh to cast their votes at PU, the possibility of spreading Covid-19 in Chandigarh cannot be ruled out. Thus, it is recommended that permission may not be granted to PU authority to conduct the senate elections 2020.”