Chandigarh: When dandiya night at PU turned into a hail of lathis

With more than 4,000 people reportedly gathering for the event, students alleged that outsiders were given preference over university students, several of whom claimed they were denied entry despite carrying valid identity cards

A night meant for dandiya turned into a night of alleged lathis at Panjab University (PU) on Wednesday, with overcrowding at a dandiya night event triggered chaos on campus, allegations of police lathicharge and traffic snarls that left commuters stranded for nearly an hour. Videos of the commotion are circulating on social media, with a caption mocking the event as “Dandiya night for girls and danda (stick) night for boys”.

Chaos on campus and traffic snarls left commuters stranded for nearly an hour. (HT File)

With more than 4,000 people reportedly gathering for the event, students alleged that outsiders were given preference over university students, several of whom claimed they were denied entry despite carrying valid identity cards. Students further alleged that police resorted to a mild lathicharge as the situation escalated.

Gurdeep Singh, a student of the philosophy department, alleged that PU students were denied entry despite carrying valid identity cards. “Students were denied entry even with their ID cards, while outsiders were being preferred. We were told that the event would be organised properly, but the arrangements failed to meet expectations,” he said.

The student group SATH also criticised the arrangements, alleging that the university’s own students were sidelined while outsiders were allowed to enter. In a statement circulating on social media, the group held Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) president Ankit Bidhan responsible for the incident and questioned the arrangements made for students’ safety. SATH demanded accountability, claiming that the event had failed to prioritise the interests of PU students.

Responding to the allegations, Bidhan said student safety had been a priority and that arrangements had been made from the organisers’ end. He maintained that the university security machinery was responsible for managing entry and crowd control.

PU chief security officer Vikram denied that police had resorted to a lathicharge, attributing the commotion to overcrowding. “There was no lathicharge. Pushing took place when the crowd became difficult to control. The police were trying to manage the situation, and nothing was done intentionally,” he said.

Vikram added that around 50 special security personnel and 300 police personnel had been deployed. Entry was being regulated through identity cards, while invited guests were also allowed in through references. A meeting had been held to manage the crowd through two gates, and gate number one was closed at 5.30 pm, he said.

Dean student welfare YK Rawal said there had been a considerable rush at the venue and that entry was being regulated through identity cards. He said the matter concerned university security and that the situation would have to be assessed before further comments could be made.

According to the Chandigarh Police PRO, no lathicharge took place on the PU campus during the event, and no FIR has been registered in connection with the matter. Despite repeated attempts, the Sector 11 station house officer and the deputy superintendent of police (central) could not be reached for further details.