Stalemate between Punjab Agricultural University V-C, PAUTA president continues as latter’s hunger strike enters Day 3

Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) vice-chancellor BS Dhillon and PAUTA president HS Kingra continued to be at daggers drawn as the latter’s hunger strike entered

Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) vice-chancellor BS Dhillon and PAUTA president HS Kingra continued to be at daggers drawn as the latter’s hunger strike entered its third day on Friday.

PAUTA president HS Kingra, along with other members of the association, protesting in Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana on Friday. (Harsimar Pal Singh/HT)

The V-C, while addressing the faculty during a virtual meeting, indicated that Kingra’s post was unconstitutional.

Without naming him, Dhillon said that an individual had occupied the post for over two years in violation of the constitution of PAUTA.

The faculty elections, scheduled to take place after the stipulated term of one year, have not been conducted since 2019, said a faculty member.

On the other hand, Kingra said that he had been attending the meetings convened by PAU in his capacity as the president of PAUTA until recently. He said that PAU officials were approaching him and persuading him to end the protest.

On Thursday, the PAU employees’ union ended its protest after the staff and university authorities had agreed to redress their grievances.