Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Punjab Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Media In-charge Baltej Singh Pannu on Monday said the Punjab Government’s top priority is the safety and security of students studying in the state and urged people to allow the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the unrest at Lovely Professional University (LPU) to complete its investigation.
Addressing a press conference, Pannu said Punjab has emerged as a major education hub attracting students from across India and abroad. He stressed that ensuring the safety of all students, including those from Jammu and Kashmir and other states, remains a key responsibility of the government.
Referring to the recent incidents at LPU and Chitkara University, Pannu said the Punjab Police handled the situation with professionalism and restraint despite escalating tensions and highway blockades. He claimed that no excessive force, including batons or pellet guns, was used against students and that police treated them “like their own sons and daughters” while working to restore normalcy.
Pannu said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directed Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav to personally visit the LPU campus and assess the situation. According to him, the DGP reviewed the developments on the ground while senior police officials remained in constant contact with students and student representatives to understand their concerns and defuse tensions.
He stated that the government has constituted an SIT to investigate the incidents and determine what led to the unrest. The probe team, he said, is examining both the allegations and the circumstances surrounding the protests. Pannu urged the public to allow the investigation to proceed without interference, assuring that findings would be shared through senior police officials and the government once the inquiry is completed.
The AAP leader also criticised opposition parties for allegedly politicising a sensitive issue involving students. He accused some opposition leaders of attempting to create controversy instead of helping maintain peace and allowing authorities to resolve the situation responsibly.
Addressing social media videos that claimed armed outsiders had entered the university campus, Pannu said senior police officers had already clarified that the individuals seen in the footage were not unidentified attackers. He added that police had taken precautionary measures and removed them from the scene until their identities and presence could be verified.
Reiterating the government’s commitment to student welfare, Pannu said no individual would be allowed to disturb the atmosphere of educational institutions in Punjab. He added that while students’ concerns would be heard and investigated fairly, those found responsible for vandalism or damage to property would face legal action.
“For us, Punjab comes first, and our students are our children. The SIT investigation will establish the complete facts, and the government will keep Punjabis informed of every development,” Pannu said.
