AAP leaders urge Guv to intervene for withdrawal of PU overhaul order

A delegation of Punjab’s ruling AAP, led by Finance Minister Harpal Cheema, on Thursday met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria at Raj Bhavan here to lodge protest against what it called the Centre’s “unilateral and unconstitutional” attempt to seize control of Panjab University.

The delegation urged Kataria to intervene and protect the university’s democratic structure while demanding the immediate withdrawal of the Union Ministry of Education’s October 28 notification restructuring its Senate and Syndicate.

The meeting came days after The Tribune broke the story about the Centre’s controversial Panjab University overhaul that triggered a political storm across the state.

The AAP delegation included MPs Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and Malvinder Singh Kang, and MLA Dinesh Chadha. It submitted a memorandum to Kataria over the issue.

The party described the move, which reduced the Senate’s statutory strength from 90 to just 31 members, including 13 to be directly nominated by the Centre, as a “blatant assault” on Punjab’s democratic rights, autonomy and educational identity.

Cheema said the BJP-led Centre “bulldozed” the democratic framework of Panjab University. “After trying to capture the BBMB, the BJP is now targeting our university. The Centre’s interference is a dangerous attempt to erase Punjabiyat,” he said.

Cheema said the move would affect over 200 affiliated colleges and lakhs of students. “The Centre first withdrew one notification only to issue another minutes later, keeping it pending. This double game exposes its intent to destroy Panjab University’s autonomy,” he charged.

AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang termed the notification unconstitutional, saying it violated the Panjab University Act, 1947.

“The Ministry of Education has no authority to alter a state law. Panjab University is Punjab’s emotional and historical legacy, not a playground for Central politics,” he said.

Echoing the sentiment, MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said, “After the Partition, Panjab University became a symbol of Punjab’s rebirth. It’s not just an institution but a living part of our identity. The Centre’s repeated interference is insensitive and unlawful.”

The party demanded that both the October 30 notification and the November 4 deferment order be permanently revoked and the university’s Senate and Syndicate restored in accordance with the Panjab University Act, 1947, and the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.