DIG Ropar Range denies reports, faces flak for “False” claim
CHANDIGARH: A major controversy has erupted after visuals surfaced showing Haryana Police personnel managing barricades in Phase 8, Mohali — inside Punjab territory — to stop students from reaching Chandigarh to join a protest at Panjab University (PU). The move has sparked outrage, with questions being raised over how the Punjab Government permitted police from another state to operate within its jurisdiction.
DIG Ropar Range Nanak Singh later claimed that “Haryana Police had not entered Punjab” and that “strict action would be taken if such a thing happened.” However, his statement was contradicted by video evidence showing Haryana Police manning the barricades in Mohali. The assertion has drawn sharp criticism, with opposition leaders accusing the Punjab Police of misleading the public to cover up the incident.
Sources said the Punjab Police had denied blocking the movement of students or protesters into Chandigarh. Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab had earlier expressed support for the ongoing agitation by Panjab University students.
The protest intensified when students, joined by several farmers, broke through the barricades set up by Chandigarh Police at the Mohali border and later breached the university gates to enter the campus.
The agitation began after the Central Government’s decision to abolish the Senate and Syndicate of Panjab University, a move widely opposed by students and faculty. Although the Centre subsequently withdrew the notification, students are now demanding that elections for the Syndicate — pending for the last two years — be announced immediately.