Demonstration by Ludhiana agri varsity staff: Protesters detained, later released

The protest was in response to the suspension of a junior employee, which the staff allege was carried out under political pressure from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP); ahead of the planned 9 am protest by the Punjab Agricultural University Employees Union, several union leaders were reportedly detained

Heavy forces were deployed at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) ahead of a peaceful protest called by the non-teaching staff on Tuesday.

Police personnel deployed outside the Punjab Agricultural University on Tuesday; and (right) police detaining members of PAU employees’ union. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

The protest was in response to the suspension of a junior employee, which the staff allege was carried out under political pressure from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Commissioner of police Swapan Sharma himself led the force.

Ahead of the planned 9 am protest by the PAU Employees Union, several union leaders were reportedly detained—some from their homes and others from the university premises—sparking widespread outrage among staff, opposition leaders and former university officials. Protesters were rounded up and taken away in police vans, though they were later released.

“This is the first time in PAU’s history that the police have stormed the campus to suppress a peaceful protest,” said Baldev Singh Walia, president of the PAU Employees Union. “Our colleague Amrik Singh was suspended without cause. The vice-chancellor himself admitted that the action was taken on directions from higher-ups in the Punjab government,” he added.

The employee in question, Amrik Singh, a junior lab assistant in the department of plant breeding, had a verbal altercation with a local AAP leader on campus on March 27. While the matter was reportedly settled amicably two days later, Singh was suddenly suspended, without any official explanation.

Ashu posted on X: “AAP was born out of anarchic protests but now cracks down on peaceful ones. Turning PAU into a garrison to suppress democratic voices is nothing short of authoritarianism.”

Former dean of agricultural engineering Jaskaran Singh called the police action “a sign of spineless leadership”, lamenting the decline of democratic space on campus. “Today’s lockdown of the university reflects the failure of both administration and governance,” he said.

A closed-door meeting between police commissioner Sharma, vice-chancellor Dr Satbir Singh Gosal and Walia ended with the V-C requesting three days to resolve the matter and consider reinstating Singh. “They still haven’t explained why the suspension was issued,” Walia told reporters after the meeting.

In contrast, deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain defended the police deployment, stating, “We were informed that the protest could disrupt academic activities. The force was placed to maintain peace and ensure continuity of educational work.”

Both Dr Gosal and the commissioner of police remained unavailable for comment, citing ongoing meetings.