Central status for PU: Protesting students allege lathicharge by police
The protesting students were marching towards Chandigarh to reach the Punjab Raj Bhavan, when they were stopped by police near YPS roundabout in Mohali
Protesting against the proposed central status for Panjab University, student bodies alleged police used lathicharge to stop them from entering Chandigarh near the YPS roundabout in Mohali on Thursday.
As many as nine student organisations from Punjab, including Punjab Students Union (PSU-Lalkaar), Punjab Students Union (Shaheed Randhawa), Student Federation of India (SFI) and Students For Society (SFS), had gathered at Amb Sahib Gurdwara in Phase 8, where student leaders also addressed the protesters.
The protesting students later marched towards Chandigarh to reach the Punjab Raj Bhavan, but were stopped by police near YPS roundabout with the help of barricades.
Here, students alleged police used lathicharge, leaving several of them injured. When they managed to cross the barricades, they were stopped by Chandigarh Police from proceeding further.
Aman of PSU-Lalkaar said some students were injured while crossing the barricades and others due to police lathicharge. “A female student also fell unconscious and was taken to the hospital,” he said, adding that they gave a representation to the police officials for a meeting with a representative of the Punjab chief minister.
DSP (City 1) Sukhnaaz Singh said there was no lathicharge at the YPS roundabout. “Police only stopped the students from entering Chandigarh. Police managed to pacify the students and they returned amicably,” he said.
Last month, the Punjab and Haryana high court had directed the central government to consider the conversion of PU into a central University, evoking opposition from student bodies.
