Protesting PU students break into reading hall

Entered the reading hall as the meeting between them and the varsity officials was not held after both sides differed on how many students will attend the same

With the demand to reopen the AC Joshi library for them, students of Panjab University on Thursday entered the reading hall after breaking open its lock.

Students protesting outside the administration block on the Panjab University campus in Chandigarh on Thursday. (Ravi Kumar/HT)

The protesting students entered the reading hall as the meeting between them and the varsity officials was not held after both sides differed on how many students will attend the meeting.

The research scholars and students have been protesting for the last nine days outside the library demanding its immediate reopening.

Last week, the university had closed all the departmental libraries, along with AC Joshi library, in the wake of recent surge in the numbers of Covid-19 positive cases.

Continuing the stir, students also marched towards the administrative block of PU on Thursday where they raised slogans against the vice-chancellor, Raj Kumar, and other varsity officials.

Raj Kumar also held an emergent meeting with officials in the day regarding the issue after which officials called a meeting with student representatives.

The university, in its official communiqué, said, “PU authorities tried to meet the protesting students to continue dialogue with them related to the opening of the library. The authorities asked the students to send five representatives whereas students were insisting on sending nine members for the meeting. The authorities kept on waiting for two hours but no one turned up.”

The university also said that there was a protest by students at the administrative block after which they went to the library and broke open the lock of the reading room.

“A police complaint has been made in this regard. Thereafter, with the help of the police, the reading room was locked,” the university said.