A day after violence by some armed miscreants at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Haryana Assembly Speaker on Monday faced outrage of students at the Panjab University campus here.
Gupta, who was speaking at a seminar on the topic, "Women's Participation in Decision-Making" at PU was disrupted by students belonging to some Left-leaning student bodies, who shouted slogans against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).Chandigarh Administrator and Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore and local Member of Parliament Kirron Kher, who were to attend the programme had cancelled their visit while the chairperson of the National Commission for Women, Rekha Sharma attended it.
Carrying banners, the protestors which also included female students questioned BJP’s Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign and shouted slogans against the ruling party.
The protesting students were then taken out of the seminar hall by security personnel.
Heavy police force was deployed at the University to prevent any untoward incident.Later, talking to the mediapersons, Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta described the students’ protest “a predetermined act”.
"The protest was done by those who are trying to break the country. This seminar was not political but was on the issue of women empowerment and by holding protest, they have shown that they are against empowering women," Gupta said.
He further said, “Everyone has right to speak but in a decent way… To disrupt a programme is not a right way.”
An inquiry into JNU incident is ongoing and action will be taken accordingly, he added while commenting on attack on JNU students on Sunday evening.
Commenting on PU students’ protest, the chairperson of the National Commission for Women, Rekha Sharma, who also attended the seminar, said, “This is their wish. This is a free country. They (students) put forth their views.”
As far as the JNU violence was concerned, the Union Home Ministry had taken cognisance of it. I will also meet the girls injured in this incident, she added.
Earlier speaking to the mediapersons, one of the protesting students, Kanupriya, former president of PU campus students council slammed the Centre for the violence on the JNU campus.
She said, “During the seminar, Haryana Vidhan Sabha speaker was saying that they want to promote Beti Padhao. Is this way they will teach girls… JNU student union president Aishe Ghosh was beaten brutally by right-wing students.”
Meanwhile, students owing allegiance to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)-- BJP's student wing-- also held a demonstration against Left-leaning student bodies on the PU campus.
Notably, at least 28 people were injured in violence at JNU on Sunday evening when masked men armed with sticks and rods attacked students and teachers besides damaging property in the campus.