Appoint Sikh as Panjab University V-C: Sukhbir Badal

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday demanded that an eminent Sikh academician should be made the vice-chancellor of Panjab University.

Chandigarh

Surprising that in nearly 76 years of Independent India, the Punjab University has not had a single V-C belonging to the Sikh community: Sukhbir (HT file photo)

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday demanded that an eminent Sikh academician should be made the vice-chancellor of Panjab University.

The seat fell vacant after Raj Kumar resigned from the V-C’s post amid allegations of corruption. Kumar’s resignation was accepted by vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar, the varsity chancellor, on January 13. Renu Vig, dean, university instructions (DUI), has been given the charge till further orders.

In a letter to the vice-president, Sukhbir said: “It is surprising that in nearly 76 years of Independent India, the Punjab University has not had a single V-C belonging to the Sikh community”.

“Since 1966, the university has remained the soul, the mind and the conscience of the present-day Punjab formed on the basis of Punjabi language with Gurmukhi script as its mother tongue. Haryana and Himachal Pardesh are no longer associated with the university as none of their colleges are its constituent academic unit,” said Sukhbir.