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Chandigarh: VC’s ‘no-concert’ decision goes for a toss as star night continues at PU
The three-day fest was halted on Tuesday evening when four armed youths allegedly opened fire at a student leader, Jashanpreet Singh Jawanda, near the department of botany
Even as Panjab University (PU) vice-chancellor Renu Vig on Tuesday said that the star night scheduled on Wednesday had been cancelled following the shooting incident on the campus, the event continued unhindered, with singer Satinder Sartaaj performing for over 5,000 students at the university’s cricket ground.
Haryana CM Nayab Saini, who was invited as the chief guest, was not in attendance. The event was organised by the ABVP-backed Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC) president, Gaurav Veer Sohal.
The three-day fest was halted on Tuesday evening when four armed youths allegedly opened fire at a student leader, Jashanpreet Singh Jawanda, near the department of botany.
In the immediate aftermath, VC Vig said that the event was cancelled and that no student organised event would be permitted until a new security management framework was put in place. However, she remained unavailable for comment on Wednesday as the event took place. DSW Yogesh Rawal and chief of university security Vikram Singh also remained unavailable for comment.
A senior campus security official, requesting anonymity, said their department had written to the VC, stating they were not prepared to host the event given the prevailing security threat. Senior Chandigarh police officials also flagged that PU was not equipped to manage an event of this scale, particularly in the wake of the previous day’s incident.
PUCSC joint secretary Mohit Manderana, however, backed the decision to proceed. “A fest is part of every student’s university life experience. The authorities need to improve security and administration by regulating outsider entry,” he said.
The star night was held at the university’s cricket ground, a venue that had previously drawn controversy. PU authorities had resisted permitting events at the ground in previous years, citing the risk of damage to the turf and its ₹15 lakh sprinkler system. Gate No. 1 and Gate No. 2 were abruptly closed for entry, causing traffic snarls and inconvenience for residents in the area.
