Cockroach Janata Party’s Abhijeet Dipke broke his silence on the ongoing violent protests at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, Punjab on Monday. He shared a purported video of a female student at the university who claims that some boys had entered the girls’ hostel with knives in their hands. The student can be heard saying that all girls had been asked to remain in their rooms as security outside the campus had become minimal.
Sharing the video on X, Dipke said women should not have to protest or fight for something as basic as their safety. He argued that a university campus should be one of the safest places in the world.
Also Read | LPU postpones mid-term exams, suspends classes for 10 days amid violent protests
Deep Dive
What led to the protests at Lovely Professional University (LPU)?
How has LPU responded to the allegations of violence and safety concerns?
What actions are being taken by authorities regarding the alleged incidents at LPU?
“University campus should be one of the safest places for a woman. If women don’t feel safe even inside their hostels, we have a serious problem. It’s 2026. Women should not have to protest, plead or fight for something as basic as their safety,” Dipke posted on X.
HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
What’s happening at LPU
{{/usCountry}}HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
What’s happening at LPU
{{/usCountry}}Protests broke out at LPU on Saturday over an alleged case involving the rape and suicide of a girl student. Over the weekend, the university witnessed incidents of violence, with police vans vandalised, academic buildings set on fire and explosions heard from inside the campus.
Also Read | LPU postpones mid-term exams, suspends classes for 10 days amid violent protests
Amid the violence, the university postponed its mid-term examinations and suspended regular classes for 10 days.
Several students left the university for their hometowns amid heavy police deployment. The university said in a statement that students who decided to remain on campus should stay inside their hostels or places of residence and avoid unnecessary movement or involvement in any unrest in the interest of their own safety.
Also Read | Blasts heard inside campus, police SUVs set on fire by mob: Why Punjab's LPU is growing tense
Students said the situation was peaceful on Monday morning but expressed concerns about their safety following the violence reported on Sunday night. A student told ANI that the university had informed students about the suspension of classes and postponement of examinations.
“We received the notice yesterday... Everything is peaceful inside the campus... Exams have been postponed and the regular classes were suspended. If everything goes well, normalcy might return within 1-2 weeks,” the student said.
Another student said the administration had informed them that university buildings had been damaged during the unrest.
“According to the interaction we had with the administration, we were told that amid the ruckus last night, the main Computer Science buildings on the campus were vandalised and set on fire, which is why we were granted a 10-day holiday,” the student said.