‘Apna hisaab la li…’: Diljit Dosanjh can’t get over PU student’s guts after viral defiance video with Chandigarh Police

Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh has thrown his support behind Harmanpreet Kaur, the Panjab University student whose video confronting Chandigarh Police went viral during recent campus protests.

During his Aura Tour 2025 concert in Australia, Diljit paused his performance to lead the audience in applauding Harmanpreet, praising her courage and resolve.

“You must have seen the video of the girl from Panjab University saying, ‘Let go of my arms,’” he told the crowd. “Our message is that Panjab University belongs to Punjab, and whatever belongs to Punjab should go to Punjab. The girls who showed such courage deserve a big round of applause.”

The incident involving Harmanpreet unfolded amid growing unrest at Panjab University over the dissolution of the Senate and Syndicate, its key governing bodies. Although the central government later withdrew the notification, students continued to demand that long-pending Senate elections be announced without delay.

On November 10, the campus witnessed a major protest as students, joined by political and farm leaders, pushed for restoration of democratic processes. The university was shut down for the day, with gates locked early to prevent demonstrators from gathering inside.

It was during this heightened security that Harmanpreet, a second-year Anthropology student from Sri Anandpur Sahib, became the unexpected face of the agitation. Returning to her hostel around 5 a.m., she found all gates locked. When she attempted to enter through one gate, a policewoman stopped her and grabbed her arm. In a video that quickly went viral, Harmanpreet can be heard telling the officer, “Baanh chhaddo… je mere ‘te pai gayi fer apna hisaab la li… ladte loki zindabad.”

She later recounted that she had only asked to be allowed inside, as she carried her student I-card. “None of the gates were open. A policewoman held my arm. I only asked her to let me go. Later, they allowed me to enter,” she said.

The clip sparked widespread discussion online, with many praising her calm yet firm stance as a reflection of the frustration simmering among the youth.