Punjab varsity tense after Left group event stopped

Chandigarh, March 3: Tension prevailed on Panjab University campus Friday as Left-leaning Students for Society activists staged a demonstration after they were denied permission by the authorities to hold a seminar.

SFS had proposed a seminar on the campus Friday, to be addressed by human rights activist and journalist Seema Azad.

She, along with her husband, was arrested by UP police in 2010 after being charged with sedition for alleged Maoist links. They were later released on bail.

Even as Ms Seema was not allowed for the event, police took SFS president Damanpreet Singh into preventive custody. SFS activists then staged a protest outside the office of vice-chancellor, demanding they should be allowed to hold the event to be addressed by Ms Seema, SFS member Arshdeep Singh said, adding that police should immediately release Mr Damanpreet.

The SFS activists threatened to hold the event outside the office of the vice-chancellor even as rival ABVP opposed.

On Thursday, activists of ABVP had staged a “tiranga yatra” on the campus against the SFS for allegedly including Naxalite extremists in the audience.

“We will not allow Seema to enter the university,” ABVP member Harmanjot Singh Gill said. “How can SFS dub Army as rapist?” he said.

SFS members said they expected support from the PU authorities for peacefully conducting the seminar.

“When PU authorities allowed the ABVP to hold tiranga yatra yesterday, we expected them to cooperate with us too,” SFS member Harman said.