CHANDIGARH, Nov 10 — Around 50 to 70 protesters have decided to remain on the Panjab University (PU) campus until the schedule for the long-pending Senate elections is announced, marking a new phase in the week-long agitation that has drawn widespread support from students and farmer unions.
Even after the Ministry of Education withdrew its controversial order restructuring PU’s governing bodies, student groups refused to end their dharna, saying the government’s decision meant little without a clear timeline for holding elections. “We are not leaving until the Senate poll schedule is finalised,” said PU Campus Students Council (PUCSC) leader Abhishek Dagar. “This movement is about restoring democratic rights inside the university.”
The campus remained under heavy police watch on Monday, with barricades at multiple entry points and officers deployed along the Chandigarh-Mohali border. Despite the restrictions, protesters managed to regroup inside the university, setting up tents near Gate No. 1, where a makeshift ‘langar’ has been arranged to sustain those staying back.
PUCSC vice-president Ashmeet Singh said the sit-in would continue peacefully. “Our preparations are for the long haul. Students will stay here till the authorities announce the poll schedule,” he said.
Farmer leaders, including Balbir Singh Rajewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher, also reached the campus to express solidarity. “The students’ fight for fair representation is justified. We will continue to stand by them,” Rajewal told reporters.
The protest stems from the Centre’s earlier notification amending the Panjab University Act, 1947, which had sought to reduce the Senate’s strength from 91 to 31 and remove elections for the Syndicate. Though the order was withdrawn after political backlash, students and faculty say they fear a continued attempt to dilute the university’s autonomous character.
Meanwhile, Chandigarh Police officials said they were maintaining close coordination with university authorities to ensure law and order. Some student groups have also demanded the release of those detained during the initial clashes, warning that any further delay could escalate tensions again.
