CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today expressed deep concern at the central government’s proposal to abolish the Senate of Panjab University Chandigarh.
In a statement here, senior party leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema urged the Union Home Minister to immediately withdraw this evil design which he said was against the spirit of the Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966.
He said as per the act, PU was declared as an interstate body corporate and any attempt to abolish its Senate would be considered as a violation of the above act and another grave injustice with the state of Punjab and Punjabis.
The SAD demanded that the heritage structure of the University must be preserved at any cost. The party also urged chief minister Bhagwant Mann to clarify whether he had given his consent to the Union Home Ministry even as it questioned his silence on the issue.
Dr Cheema said previously when efforts were made to allot land for a separate Vidhan Sabha building to Haryana, the Punjab CM gave his tacit support to the anti Punjab proposal but SAD had opposed the proposal tooth and nail. “Even efforts were made to re affiliate Haryana colleges, which were also opposed by us”, he asserted.
The SAD leader said the party would not allow this evil design to succeed and warned the Union government to refrain from taking such anti Punjab steps.