Panjab Uni Campus Tense After Left-Leaning Event’s Approval Denied

SFS activists staged a protest outside the VC’s office, demanding they should be allowed to hold the event.

Scuffle at PU on 27 February. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@iharmanjotSgill)

Tension prevailed on the Panjab University (PU) campus on Friday as left-leaning Students For Society (SFS) activists staged a demonstration after they were denied permission by the authorities to organising a seminar.

SFS had proposed a seminar on the campus on Friday, which was to be addressed by human rights activist and journalist Seema Azad.

She, along with her husband, was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police in 2010 after being charged with sedition for alleged Maoist links. They were later released on bail.

Even as Seema was not allowed for the event, police took SFS president Damanpreet Singh into preventive custody so as to maintain law and order on the campus.

However, SFS activists staged a protest outside the office of Vice Chancellor, demanding they should be allowed to hold the event which was to be addressed by Seema, party members Arshdeep Singh said, adding police should immediately release Damanpreet.

The SFS activists threatened to hold the event outside the office of the Vice Chancellor even as rival ABVP opposed.

On Thursday, activists of ABVP had staged a Tiranga Yatra on the campus against the SFS for allegedly including Naxalite extremists in the audience.

We will not allow Seema to enter the university...How can SFS dub Army as rapist?

Harmanjot Singh Gill, ABVP Activist 

SFS members said they expect support from the authorities of PU for peacefully conducting the seminar.

When PU authorities allowed the ABVP to hold Tiranga Yatra yesterday, we expect them to cooperate with us too.

Harmanjot Singh Gill

"It is surprising to see the name of Naxal leader Seema among the speakers in the seminar. The PU authorities have withdrawn the permission to SFS for the event," university syndicate member Subhash Sharma said.

The stalemate over holding the seminar continued as SFS members were adamant to hold the event. Earlier, security was beefed up at the university to avoid any untoward incident in view of the SFS proposed event.

Heavy police force has been deployed on the campus, officials said.

Earlier on 27 February, the echo of the violence in Delhi's Ramjas College was felt on campus of PU where activists of ABVP and rival Students For Society (SFS) clashed with each other.

The incident took place when the ABVP activists were staging a protest against certain 'derogatory comments' allegedly made by some SFS activists against the security forces.

Also Read: After Ramjas, ABVP-SFS Clash in Chandigarh’s Panjab University