Patiala, August 7
“Their target is the V-C,” said Swaran Singh Boparai, vice-chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala, while reacting to the arrest of registrar B.S. Sandhu by the vigilance bureau last night.
Apprehending government action against him after the arrest of his trusted man, the vice-chancellor, at a press conference held here today, said, “I have been the target for the past five months ever since the present SAD-BJP government took over. Nobody has given me any charter of demands for the past five months, but the activities of the university are being disrupted.
“The SSP, Patiala, personally beat up students who were burning effigies of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, head of Dera Sacha Sauda. However, protesters in the university are burning my effigies daily, but no action is being taken despite the fact that five FIRs have been registered against them.”
There was a dual system of law and order on the campus during the stint of the present government, he alleged.
He said he had met Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal 15 days after he took over. “He asked me to bring up a college near his village. I was to accompany him to his village to identify the sight, but the meeting was cancelled without citing any reasons.
I told the Chief Minister that an aspirant for the vice-chancellor’s post, Dalbir Singh Dhillon, was behind the disturbance on the campus. Badal told me that Dhillon was close to him. He, however, promised to talk to him, but no action has followed.”
Defending the arrested registrar, he alleged that a strong lobby of BEd colleges, rich persons and politicians was behind the arrest.
He said as per the policy adopted by the previous government, fine worth Rs 1 crore was imposed on BEd colleges that were violating norms. “However, various government functionaries started calling me up to waive the fine.” Akali leader Prem Singh Chandumajra advocated waiving the fine of two colleges owned by Congressmen.
Due to pressure from the government, the case of waiving fine was referred to the department of higher education. A decision on the matter is still awaited. So there was no question of registrar B.S. Sandhu demanding a bribe from the college, he said.
He said Sandhu had left the charge of the dean, colleges, three weeks ago. The fine of the college in question was imposed by the vice-chancellor and approved by the academic council unanimously. Sandhu had nothing to do with it.
He said Sandhu would be provided all help in dealing with the case registered against him in his position as registrar of the university.
The vice-chancellor claimed that Sandhu’s wife told him that the vigilance officials barged into their house, forcibly rubbed colour on his hands, threw Rs 1 lakh and arrested him.
