Chandigarh- A high-level delegation of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab, led by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, today met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria at Raj Bhavan to submit a memorandum against the Union Government’s unilateral move to dissolve the democratically elected Senate and Syndicate of Panjab University. The delegation included Members of Parliament Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and Malvinder Singh Kang, MLA Dinesh Chadha, and senior leaders Goldy Kamboj, Davinder Singh Laddi Dhos, Student leader Vattanveer Gill and PU Senate Members I.P. Sidhu and Ravinder Dhaliwal.
The delegation strongly protested the Union Ministry of Education’s notification dated 28 October 2025, which reduced the statutory strength of the Senate from 90 to just 31 members, 13 of whom would be directly nominated by the Centre. AAP described this as a direct attack on Punjab’s and Panjab University's democratic rights, autonomy, and identity.
Speaking after the meeting, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, “The BJP-led Central Government has bulldozed the democratic structure of Panjab University that has been functioning successfully for the last 60 years. By reducing the Senate’s strength and dissolving the Syndicate, the Centre wants to seize control of Punjab’s educational institutions. After trying to capture the BBMB, the BJP is now targeting our University.”
Cheema added that the decision would impact over 200 affiliated colleges and lakhs of students across Punjab. “This is not just about one University, it’s an assault on Punjab’s self-respect and an attempt to erase Punjabiyat. The Centre withdrew the first notification only to issue another one minutes later, keeping it ‘pending’. This double game shows their true intent, to destroy Panjab University’s autonomy, ” he said.
AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang said the Centre’s notification is unconstitutional and violates the Panjab University Act, 1947, which was passed by the Punjab Legislative Assembly. “The Ministry of Education has no right to amend or dissolve institutions established through a State Act. Panjab University is a legacy of Punjab’s pre-Partition heritage, it has an emotional, constitutional, and historical connection with Punjab. The BJP’s attempt to dismantle this democratic setup will be strongly resisted, ” Kang asserted.
Echoing the sentiment, MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said, “After Partition, when Punjabis lost their homes and heritage in Lahore, Panjab University became the first institution that symbolized our rebirth. It’s not just a University, it’s a living part of Punjab’s history and identity. The Centre’s repeated interference is not only unconstitutional but deeply insensitive to the emotions of Punjabis.”
Hayer reminded that the University’s legal status as an inter-state body corporate cannot be altered without Punjab’s consent. “By bypassing consultation with the Punjab Government, the Centre is playing with fire. Such moves have already triggered anger among students, teachers, and the academic community, ” he warned.
The delegation urged Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to intervene and safeguard the autonomy, democratic structure, and cultural identity of Panjab University. The memorandum submitted by AAP demanded that the Centre’s 28 October notification and the deceptive 4 November deferment order be permanently withdrawn, and the Senate and Syndicate restored to their full democratic composition as per the Panjab University Act, 1947 and the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966.
AAP reaffirmed that the Bhagwant Mann Government, along with Punjab’s students, teachers, and academic bodies, will continue this democratic struggle to protect Punjab’s institutions and identity from Central overreach.