Affidavit row rages, students block PU entrance for 8 hrs
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Chandigarh: An eight-hour standoff unfolded at Panjab University's Gate No. 2 on Thursday, as students demanded that Dean University Instruction (DUI) Prof Yojna Rawat personally come to the protest site to hear their objections to a controversial affidavit restricting campus dissent.
The DUI, however, had called students to her office at 3:30 PM — an invitation protestors refused, insisting that dialogue must happen at protest site, not behind closed doors.
The protest began in the morning, with students blocking the gate, raising slogans, and burning copies of the affidavit published in the Handbook of Information 2025 (Part C, Page 129). The clause threatens expulsion, cancellation of admission, and debarment from exams for students who take part in protests or criticise university authorities publicly.
Archit Garg, NSUI leader and former student council vice president, said, "We waited the entire day. If the issue affects students publicly, the administration must face students publicly too."
The university, in response, maintained that it remains committed to dialogue. "PU is one of the few universities that holds student elections every year. We have never barred genuine concerns," said Prof Amit Chauhan, Dean Students' Welfare.
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"The DUI had allotted a time slot today, but students did not come. Even so, our doors remain open. Blocking gates is not the solution."
As the evening progressed, student leaders from all participating bodies — including ASA, AISA, ASAP, ASF, HSA, HPSU, NSUI, PUSU, SFS, PSU Lalkaar, and others — ended the blockade after internal discussion, saying they would announce next steps soon.
Earlier, AAP MPs Malwinder Singh Kang and Meet Hayer had also criticised the affidavit, with Hayer going a step further by writing to the Chancellor seeking its withdrawal. Despite growing pressure from students and public representatives, the Panjab University administration is yet to take a final decision on the matter.
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