LPU Violence Sparks Political Storm in Punjab as SIT Probes Allegations

The unrest at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara has escalated into a major political confrontation in Punjab, with opposition parties accusing the Bhagwant Mann government of failing to maintain law and order and mishandling the student agitation.

The trouble began after allegations of sexual assault involving a female student spread among students. The university has denied the claims. The protest that followed turned violent, causing damage to university property, incidents of arson, injuries and a prolonged blockade of the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway.

Police have registered an FIR against an unidentified person and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations. Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the police initially sought to resolve the matter through dialogue and used minimum force, while also responding to stones thrown at them and damage to police vehicles. "FIR has been registered and action will be taken as per law," Yadav said. He added that police were technically analysing the property damage and would investigate all angles, including any possible conspiracy behind the LPU and Chitkara University incidents. On the recovery of a walkie-talkie, the DGP said all these aspects were being examined.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has directed the police to take strict action against those found responsible and asked the DGP to visit the ground and assess the situation.

The government's response has come under sharp political attack. Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal questioned how people allegedly carrying walkie-talkies and weapons could be present inside the university and claimed that some of those arrested were outsiders. He asked where the FIR had been registered following their arrest and alleged that the episode pointed to a larger conspiracy. Badal also linked the controversy to other political issues involving the AAP government, alleging that the LPU episode was being used to divert attention from ED raids, alleged financial irregularities and the controversy over government accommodation in Chandigarh.

SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia accused the Mann government of failing in its primary responsibility of maintaining peace and security. He alleged that outsiders had been brought into the university to provoke students and questioned the police response to people allegedly carrying walkie-talkies, bats and weapons. Majithia demanded a central probe, alleging that the unrest could have been politically motivated. These remain political allegations and have not been established by investigators.

Former Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu also alleged that the LPU controversy was being used to divert attention from other political controversies. He linked the developments to the BJP's ongoing anti-drug campaign and the upcoming Amit Shah rally in Jalandhar, alleging that the state government was concerned about the BJP's growing public mobilisation. Bittu further alleged that the LPU incident was connected to political tensions following Ashok Mittal's departure from the AAP and claimed that the Central Government was monitoring the situation. These claims have not been independently established.

Former Union Minister and SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal focused on the police action against protesting students. Reacting to visuals from the campus, she criticised what she described as a "mild" lathicharge and alleged that young students, including women, were hit, dragged and pushed by police personnel. She said the incident had damaged Punjab's law-and-order image and the reputation of an institution that hosts students from across India and abroad.

The Congress has also joined the political attack. Punjab Youth Congress president Shuvam Sharma drew a comparison between the recent unrest at Chitkara University and LPU, asking whether student concerns were being adequately heard. He stressed that rumours should not be treated as facts and allegations should not be treated as proof, but argued that genuine student grievances cannot be ignored. Sharma called for transparency, a swift investigation and accountability, saying students deserve a safe campus, a responsive administration and a fair investigation.

The government has maintained that the matter is being investigated and that the police acted after attempts at dialogue failed and violence escalated.

The political controversy now centres on three key questions: what actually triggered the LPU unrest, whether outsiders played any role in escalating the violence, and whether there was any organised conspiracy behind the developments. For the police, the immediate task is to establish the truth behind the sexual-assault allegation, identify those responsible for vandalism and violence, and examine claims regarding outside elements. The SIT is expected to examine CCTV footage, forensic evidence and phone data as part of the investigation.

The incident has acquired wider political significance, with the opposition using it to question the Mann government's law-and-order record, while the government faces pressure to establish facts quickly and address the concerns raised by students. With the LPU campus now at the centre of a political confrontation, the investigation — rather than competing allegations from political parties — is likely to determine what actually happened.