A fragile calm returned to Lovely Professional University (LPU) on Monday after a night of violence, arson and clashes, but the biggest question remains unanswered: who triggered the unrest that brought one of Punjab’s largest private universities to a standstill?
Police have claimed that the situation is now under control, while a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is examining the allegations that sparked the protests. The probe is expected to examine CCTV footage, forensic evidence and phone data to establish what actually happened on the campus.
The controversy assumes added political significance because LPU founder and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal recently shifted from the Aam Aadmi Party to the Bharatiya Janata Party. At the same time, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Punjab on September 30 for a BJP rally near the university campus. These circumstances have prompted political allegations, although no evidence has so far established a link between the political developments and the violence.
The university has suspended regular classes for 10 days from September 28 and postponed its mid-term examinations, which were scheduled to begin on October 1. Students have been permitted to return home after consulting their parents and guardians, while those staying back have been advised to remain inside hostels and avoid unnecessary movement.
The impact was immediate. Of nearly 40,000 students on campus, more than half had left by Monday morning by train, bus and cab. Parents from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan rushed to Phagwara to bring their children home.
Internet services remained suspended on the campus from midnight. While the shutdown may have helped prevent the circulation of videos and online mobilisation, students said it also disrupted routine activities, including UPI payments and access to online study material. The ATM on the campus was also damaged. Canteens, however, continued to operate normally.
Heavy police deployment remained in place around the university, particularly ahead of Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav’s visit. Several students were seen leaving the campus with their belongings as security forces maintained a presence at the gates and other sensitive points.
What triggered unrest
The violence followed social-media claims of an alleged sexual assault involving an outsider working at the university. Police registered an FIR against an unidentified person after students approached them and subsequently constituted an SIT. But the allegation remains unsubstantiated.
LPU has categorically denied that any rape occurred on campus, describing the claims circulating on social media as “false, baseless and fabricated rumours”. The university has also appealed to students and parents not to circulate unverified information. The university released a video in which three female students said they were present in the room where the alleged assault was reported and that no such incident had occurred there.
DGP Gaurav Yadav, after visiting the campus, said preliminary investigations did not indicate that a rape had occurred there. Police nevertheless continued with the investigation, saying all available evidence would be examined. DIG Jalandhar Range Naveen Singla said investigators would examine forensic evidence, CCTV footage and phone data, with representatives of the protesting students also being involved in the process.
Protest Timeline
The protest gathered momentum between 1 am and 2 am on Sunday when students assembled near a hostel and later moved towards the university’s main entrance.
The protesters demanded an investigation into the allegation, action against anyone found responsible, improved security in girls’ hostels, accountability of hostel officials and protection from punitive action over the protests. The situation soon spiralled.
Videos circulating on social media showed protesters damaging window panes and flower pots and setting objects on fire. Furniture, motorcycles and other property were also reportedly damaged. Some protesters climbed onto a decommissioned MiG-23 aircraft and onto a military tank on display on the campus.
Around 4 am, protesters moved onto the Delhi-Amritsar National Highway and blocked traffic. The blockade disrupted movement between Jalandhar and Phagwara and affected traffic towards other parts of Punjab and neighbouring states. Although police initially persuaded the protesters to clear the highway, the blockade was imposed again.
As tensions persisted, a heavy police contingent entered the campus late Sunday night. Senior officers, including ADGP M.F. Farooqui and DIG Naveen Singla, were involved in efforts to restore order. Police later conducted a flag march inside the university.
The highway blockade was finally cleared during the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, with police saying traffic had resumed and the situation was peaceful.
Political dimensions
Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that the unrest was linked to Ashok Mittal’s recent decision to leave the AAP and join the BJP. The allegation has not been established by the investigation.
The Congress, meanwhile, criticised the Punjab government, police and administration over the handling of the situation, alleging a complete failure of the authorities.
A senior political science professor, speaking anonymously, suggested that politics could be one factor behind the agitation. The professor also questioned whether some of the violent elements seen in videos were outsiders rather than students, pointing to images purportedly showing people carrying walkie-talkies and weapons. These claims too require independent verification.
Student leader Gagan Sangrami offered a different perspective. He said students had grievances over education standards, excessive control and what they described as unjustified fines. While acknowledging the possibility of outsiders entering the campus, he said local students had also participated in the agitation and that their grievances needed to be addressed.
The BJP has demanded an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the violence. Former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar called for an inquiry to establish whether external or internal forces were involved. He raised questions about the possibility of attempts to exploit student anger for political purposes and also referred to allegations involving separatist groups.
Jakhar also linked the timing of the unrest to the forthcoming visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, asking whether anyone seeking to disrupt the political atmosphere had attempted to use students to create unrest. These remain political allegations and have not been established by the ongoing police investigation.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has said action would be taken against those responsible for the violence, without providing details of the alleged perpetrators.
Investigation holds the key
For now, the central allegation that triggered the violence remains unresolved. Police have registered an FIR against an unidentified person and formed an SIT. Investigators are examining CCTV footage, forensic material and phone records. The university continues to deny that the alleged assault took place on campus.
What began as a student protest over an unverified allegation quickly turned into a major law-and-order crisis, with university property damaged, a national highway blocked and thousands of students leaving campus.
The crucial questions now are whether the original allegation was deliberately fabricated, whether outsiders played a role in escalating the violence, what role—if any—was played by students with genuine grievances, and whether there was any political or external hand behind the mobilisation.
The answers will have to come from the investigation, not from competing political claims.
