PU Senate polls to be announced, have written to Chancellor: BJP leader Bittu

Chandigarh, Nov 12 (PTI) His party under fire over pending Panjab University governing body election, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Wednesday said that the dates for the Senate polls will be announced, but stopped short of giving any date.

The varsity students have been on a warpath for days, first against a notification that ordered restructuring of the governing bodies –- Senate and Syndicate --, then over the pending university election.

The notification was withdrawn by the Centre after it faced widespread denunciation.

Bittu said the PU vice-chancellor has written to the Chancellor, the country's Vice-President, for the approval of the schedule of Senate polls.

"Hundred per cent! Dates will be announced and elections will take place," he said, responding to reporters.

Students have been picketing the office of the PU vice-chancellor under the banner of Panjab University Bachao Morcha.

The Ministry of Education, on November 7, withdrew its October 28 notification for changing the constitution and composition of the Panjab University Senate and Syndicate.

The rollback was not enough to persuade students to end their protest, which on Monday evolved into a call for a "university shutdown" over the Senate election, which has not taken place in a year.

Bittu said, "In Punjab, some issues are emotional. When emotions come, all things are kept aside." The BJP leader, all the same, raised questions over the presence of "certain people" at the student protest, and alleged that they only wanted to set "Punjab on fire." "What kind of people came here? Did they have any connection with education? Did they come for the benefit of students? Be it an issue of Budha Nullah (in Ludhiana) or any issue in any village, they reach there," he said, without naming any person or group in particular.

"Tell me what they want. They just want to set Punjab on fire," he said.

"Say positive things. Why did they say, 'Chak deyange, Uda deyange,' what is this? We are educated people," Bittu said.

He said several students told him that they had nothing to do with the outsiders, who came with their own mics and set their own stage.

"Somebody was riding a horse. Someone was doing something else," he said while referring to the "outsiders." Students on Monday had a face-off with police when they were not allowed to enter the campus, with some of them throwing down barricades raised to stop them.

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party, Congress, and SAD and farmers' bodies, including Samyukta Kisan Morcha, have accused the Centre of trying to "capture" Panjab University.

Some 'Nihang' groups are also at the protest site.

Meanwhile, Bittu took a dig at Rahul Gandhi, saying wherever the Congress leader goes, he ends up benefiting the BJP.

"We always say that our biggest campaigner is Rahul Gandhi. Wherever he goes, nobody can stop the BJP from winning there," he said in reference to the recently concluded Bihar Assembly Polls.

He said the BJP will win the 2027 Punjab election solo, just as it did the previous two state elections. PTI CHS VSD VN VN