|
BJP MP and Lovely Professional University (LPU) Chancellor Ashok Kumar Mittal on Thursday claimed that the recent violent protests on the university campus were the result of a "highly organised conspiracy" orchestrated by malicious elements to spread anarchy and destabilise Punjab.
Speaking with ANI, Mittal dismissed online claims that sparked mass student outrage, attributing the unrest to fabricated rumours circulated primarily via social media platform Reddit. Refuting the allegations, Mittal stated that preliminary inquiries by law enforcement and institutional checks confirmed no such assault took place. He highlighted a sequential pattern of unrest across Punjab campuses, noting that a similar incident involving unverified rumours occurred at Chitkara University in Rajpura just 24 hours prior to the events at LPU. "The rumour spread via the Reddit platform is completely false. Initial inquiries have confirmed that no such incident ever took place. It was done to destabilise LPU. Incidents occurred at Chitkara University in Rajpura one day, and then with me the very next daywithin a span of 24 hours. This indicates a highly organised conspiracy orchestrated by malicious elements, whether from within the state, from outside the state, or even from abroad," said Ashok Kumar Mittal. Expressing deep concern over the socio-political fallout in Punjab, Mittal said national security symbols on the campus were targeted during the unrest. He condemned videos showing people climbing and dancing on a decommissioned MiG-23 fighter jet gifted by the Indian Air Force and installed as a memorial near the university's main gate. "Efforts are being made to drive a wedge between the Hindu and Sikh communities in Punjab. There is an attempt to spread anarchy across the state... There is a MiG-23gifted to me by the Air Forcestationed at the main gate as a memorial. You may have seen videos where people climb onto it and dance. Attempts are being made to demoralise our armed forces, and national security is being compromised," said the founder of Lovely Professional University. The controversy erupted following viral social media posts alleging a grave incident inside the girls' hostel campus. The posts claimed an outsider had sexually assaulted a female student, leading to intense agitation among students who gathered in large numbers to demand accountability, security overhauls, and action from university authorities. The unrest escalated into acts of vandalism, damage to campus infrastructure, and clashes that spilt onto the New DelhiAmritsar National Highway. To restore order and prevent further spread of misinformation, university authorities suspended physical classes for 10 days, postponed mid-term examinations, and local administration temporarily cut internet access around the campus radius. Authorities and law enforcement agencies are tracing the origin of the digital posts and investigating potential cross-border or political links behind the coordinated disruption. (ANI)
|
