Chandigarh, October 28: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday criticised the decision to cancel a seminar marking the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji, calling it an “unfortunate” step that restricts academic and cultural dialogue.
AAP MP from Sri Anandpur Sahib and party’s Punjab general secretary Malvinder Singh Kang said the cancellation “reflects unnecessary political interference” and urged Punjab University to allow the event to go ahead. “The martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji is not just an inspiration for Sikhs but for all humanity,” he said, adding that “Guru Sahib gave his life to uphold the principles of conscience, humanity, and freedom.”
Kang, a former student of Punjab University and two-time president of its student council, alleged that the decision to revoke permission was taken “under political pressure from Delhi.” “Why should there be fear in remembering or discussing the teachings of Guru Sahib? His sacrifice belongs to the entire nation,” he said.
The AAP MP said students informed him that the seminar, scheduled for October 27, was cancelled after the inclusion of Sikh scholar and writer Sardar Ajmer Singh as a speaker. “Calling him controversial is baseless. He has addressed academic forums across India and abroad and has no criminal record,” Kang stated. “Preventing such voices is a direct assault on intellectual discourse.”
Kang said he has written to Vice Chancellor Prof. Renu Vig, urging her to “intervene immediately and restore permission” for the seminar. “The teachings of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji must be part of the academic space so that the younger generation draws inspiration from his life and sacrifice,” he wrote in his letter.
He further appealed to the university administration to “rise above political pressures” and uphold academic autonomy. “The AAP government in Punjab is committed to protecting the state’s heritage and ensuring that the voice of youth is not suppressed,” Kang said.
He also compared the latest incident to an earlier controversy involving the removal of a portrait of human rights activist Shaheed Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra, saying such acts “weaken the values of open dialogue and respect for Punjab’s historical legacy.”
