A delegation of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria at Raj Bhavan on Thursday to protest what it called the Centre’s “unilateral and unconstitutional” attempt to take over Panjab University.
The delegation submitted a memorandum to the Governor, urging him to intervene and safeguard the university’s democratic framework. They also demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Union Ministry of Education’s October 28 notification, which restructured the university’s Senate and Syndicate.
The meeting followed widespread political outrage after the Centre’s controversial notification—first reported by The Tribune—that proposed major changes to the university’s governance.
The AAP team included MPs Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and Malvinder Singh Kang, along with MLA Dinesh Chadha. The party described the restructuring move—which reduced the Senate’s statutory strength from 90 to 31 members, giving 13 seats to direct Central nominees—as a “blatant assault on Punjab’s autonomy and educational identity.”
Cheema accused the BJP-led Centre of “bulldozing” the democratic structure of the institution. “After trying to capture the BBMB, the BJP is now targeting our university. This is a dangerous attempt to erase Punjabiyat,” he said, adding that the move would impact more than 200 affiliated colleges and lakhs of students.
He alleged that the Ministry first withdrew one notification only to issue another minutes later, terming it a “double game to destroy the university’s autonomy.”
AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang called the notification unconstitutional, arguing that the Ministry of Education had no authority to alter provisions of the Panjab University Act, 1947. “Panjab University is Punjab’s emotional and historical legacy, not a playground for Central politics,” he said.
MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer added that the university, established after Partition, symbolised Punjab’s rebirth and identity. “It’s not just an institution but a living part of our culture. The Centre’s repeated interference is insensitive and unlawful,” he said.
The party demanded that the October 30 notification and the November 4 deferment order be permanently revoked and the university’s Senate and Syndicate restored as per the Panjab University Act, 1947, and the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.