Panjab University remained closed on Wednesday after the university administration declared a holiday and cancelled all scheduled examinations.
The move came last night after students staged protest, and amid planned bandh call by the Panjab University Bachao Morcha, which has been protesting for the past 24 days. Late on Tuesday night, ITBP personnel were deployed on campus following escalating tensions.
Students are expected to meet today to decide the date for a proposed siege of the BJP office in Chandigarh. The decision will be finalised after a protest march inside the university. Several student groups had agreed on this plan during a meeting earlier this week.
Tensions rose on Tuesday night when students discovered that the university had shifted the day’s exams to DAV College despite the shutdown call. In anger, they closed Gate No. 2 of the campus, forcing the administration to cancel the exams completely. Students then joined the ongoing protest outside the Vice Chancellor’s office.
Ashmeet Singh, PU Students Union Vice President, said that their core demand remains the announcement of the Senate election date. "Till the date, election schedule is not announced, the protest will continue", he added.
Meanwhile, the Senate and Syndicate of Panjab University had earlier been dissolved by the central government, triggering continuous student demonstrations. Although the Centre has now withdrawn that decision, the election date has still not been declared.
Vice Chancellor Renu Vij has sent a proposal to the Chancellor and Vice President seeking approval to announce the Senate election schedule, but no final decision has been communicated so far.