University protest, farmer rally pass off peacefully amid heavy police presence

Two peaceful demonstrations unfolded simultaneously in Chandigarh on Wednesday — a large gathering of farmers under the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) at the Sector 43 Dasehra Ground, and a bandh call at Panjab University by student groups demanding the Senate poll notification. Despite the calm atmosphere, the city witnessed an unusually heavy police presence, barricading and diversions.

With expectations of over 10,000 farmers joining the rally and student protests escalating, nearly 3,000 police personnel were deployed across sensitive points. Key routes were diverted as a precaution, and a few Youth Congress members were detained at the Mohali border.

Meanwhile, the Youth Congress blocked the parking entry gate at Phase 3A in Mohali as part of their plan to march towards the Chandigarh Governor’s House in support of the Punjab University Bachao Morcha. CRPF teams were deployed at the Sector 53–54 border. At the Sector 43 rally site, farmers from neighbouring regions continued arriving through the afternoon, mostly on tractor-trailers. Speakers representing about 30 SKM-affiliated organisations addressed the crowd, marking five years since the “Delhi Chalo” march. Traffic diversions around the venue helped maintain smooth flow across the city, with all Chandigarh–Mohali borders remaining open.

Authorities said that, unlike the severe congestion seen during earlier protests this month especially on November 10, Wednesday’s gatherings remained largely under control due to heightened vigilance, staggered crowd management and advance deployment. Both the farmers’ rally and the student demonstrations concluded peacefully, with officials expressing cautious optimism about managing simultaneous protests in the days ahead.

Traffic hit during Youth Congress protest

Mohali: Punjab Youth Congress leaders today staged a Lalkaar Rally from Phase-3A to Chandigarh border in protest against the Centre and BJP government’s infringement in the issues of Punjab such as proposed restructuring of PU, move to take away the rights of Punjab from UT, Chandigarh, and MSP to the farmers.

Punjab Youth Congress leader Mohit Mohindra and a few others were detained at the Sector 53/54-Chandigarh border. However, a sizable number scaled the barricades and submitted a memorandum to officials to be forwarded to the Governor.

Youth Congress leaders were involved in a verbal duel with shopkeepers, road users and visitors in Phase 3-A parking lot as they blocked the entry of vehicles inside the lot in the market. Hotel owners, shopkeepers and visitors expressed their anger against the Youth Congress leaders for causing inconvenience to them.