‘I don’t feel safe’: LPU students leave campus after unrest

Students at LPU took to the streets in a violent protest following allegations that a female student had been sexually assaulted on campus by a person described as an “outsider.” (Express Photo)

After authorities at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, Punjab, suspended classes for 10 days following Sunday’s violent unrest, students began leaving campus Monday, with groups seen boarding auto-rickshaws and other local transport to reach the bus stand and railway station.

Early Sunday, students at LPU took to the streets in a violent protest following allegations that a female student had been sexually assaulted on campus by a person described as an “outsider.”

The unrest reportedly involved damage to university property, vandalism of nearby shops, vehicles being set ablaze, and the blocking of a national highway. The university, however, rejected the allegation, calling it “baseless and fabricated rumours.”

‘Worried about people coming from outside’

For several girls, particularly those from outside Punjab, the decision to leave was driven less by the students who took part in Sunday’s protest than by their concern over outsiders entering the university amid the turmoil.

A student from the Northeast, who was waiting for her uncle to take her home, said she had initially considered staying back but changed her mind after Sunday’s developments.

“I could have stayed in the hostel, but after what happened yesterday, I don’t feel safe. I am not scared of the students who were protesting. I am worried about people coming from outside and taking advantage of the situation,” she said.

She said her uncle was coming to pick her up because she did not want to leave the hostel alone. “The university should ensure that outsiders are not allowed to enter the campus. They are not concerned about the safety of the students,” she said.

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Other students leaving the LPU campus also raised similar concerns, saying the presence of outsiders during Sunday’s unrest heightened their apprehension.

LPU officials have also expressed concern about outsiders entering during the unrest and said the presence of people not connected with the student community was a security issue. The university has maintained that students who do not wish to travel home can continue staying in the hostels, but they have been advised to remain inside and avoid unnecessary movement.

Outsider detained

Concerns about outsiders have also coincided with police action during the unrest.

“An outsider was detained after being found with a walkie-talkie and a weapon,” a police source said.

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Further details about the person and the circumstances of the detention were not immediately available.

Meanwhile, security has been substantially reinforced at the university. More than 2,000 police personnel have been deployed on and around the campus, and authorities conducted a flag march as they worked to restore confidence among students and their families.

Satinder Singh, Commissioner, Jalandhar Police, said police teams inspected the hostel facilities after reports of disturbances and found nothing. Singh said traffic movement in the area had also resumed and the situation was returning to normal.

He added that the remaining issues would be addressed through discussions with students and appealed to parents not to be alarmed by reports circulating about the university.

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The police deployment is expected to continue as authorities focus on maintaining law and order, securing the campus and preventing unauthorised movement into the university.

Gaurav Yadav, Director General of Police, Punjab is scheduled to visit LPU Monday and is expected to address the media on the situation and the security arrangements.