After a failed attempt to meet the Governor, Panjab University students faced lathi charge, tear gas and water cannon on Tuesday during their march towards the Vice Chancellor’s office demanding the complete rollback of the fee hike.

As many as 600 students, led by Joint Students’ Action Committee Against Fee Hike (JSAC)  boycotted classes and participated in the total ‘bandh’, which was pre-planned. No classes took place as there was a complete shutdown, including libraries and laboratories. However, protesting students were stopped at the front gate of VC’s office by security personnel, who had put up barricades.

“We then began marching towards the back gate and entered the compound,” said Gurpreet Singh, a student from Panjab University. The protesters say that police action was brutal and unprovocative. “Police first used water cannons to disperse the crowd but as the students did not budge, they used tear gas shells and wielded sticks,” said another student Gagandeep Sidhu. The irked students pelted stones at police.

“We were protesting in a peaceful manner. They started beating us. Our demand is reasonable and we won’t stop this protest until we get justice,” added Gagandeep, B.pharm student in Panjab University.  As many as 50 protesters, who were injured in the police action, were taken to the hospital. It has been reported that a student got injured in his eye as the police fired tear gas shell. “He is battling for his life in a hospital here,” claimed Hardik Ahluwalia, his friend. There were no policewomen though a majority of protesters were girls. The female police were brought later on.

VC hand in glove with the police

The student protesters alleged that police was following the orders of VC.  “Policemen were chasing students even to their hostels. They were hunting for students all around the campus and beating them up. Who gave them permission to do all these,” asks Gurpreet. Police even entered into a gurdwara, searching students, which is located near the university. More than 35 students, including 10 girls have been detained by police and kept in sector 11 police station.

VC tight-lipped

Worse yet is the complicit silence of VC on this matter. “It was evident from today’s incident that VC has given orders to police to act against his own students. “Why tear gas shells; why lathi charge; why water cannons? We are students. Why so much police here,” asks Navdeep Malik.

Meanwhile, students had put forth another set of demands along with the complete rollback of fee hike including the ban of police entry into university premises, complete the teachers/ student ratio, stop cutting seats in regular courses and convert contractual workers into a permanent one.

Update:

After the demonstration against the fee hike in Panjab University turned violent on Tuesday, many reports came out saying thatsedition charges were slapped on arrested students. Meanwhile, there were conflicting reports on whether they were included in the final FIR registered against the students. Senior Superintendent of Police Eish Singhal told the Hindustan Times that they had found no proof of anti-national statements.

When contacted, Nishant Kaushal, the Panjab University Students Council President told Newslaundry that: “Section 124-A was included in the FIR initially. But, SSP Eish Singhal said that they have removed the charge following the appeal by Chief Security Officer and VC”. But other charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 332 (causing hurt to deter public servant from performing his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from performing his duty) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), have been put in the FIR.

Earlier, the reports had claimed that Panjab University Chief Security Officer Professor Ashwani Kaul wanted the protesters to be charged under section 124A of the Indian Penal Code claiming that slogans were raised against the state.

“But we were raising slogans such as ‘PU murdabad, ‘MHRD murdabad’ and ‘UGC murdabad’,” said Kaushal. Later reportsquoting the Chief Security Officer saying that Police had misinterpreted the situation and slapped sedition charges on students, adding that he had clarified the case with the Chandigarh Police after examining CCTV camera footage and videos of the agitation.

However, the arrested students, who have been kept in Sector 11 police station, will be produced in the court at 3 pm today.

The author can be contacted on Twitter @sahlanechiyil .