‘It’s setting a wrong precedent’: Former V-Cs condemn use of PAU auditorium for politics

In Wednesday’s debate, PAU vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal also welcomed Mann on the stage, while PAU’s director students welfare Dr Nirmal Singh Jaura was selected as “moderator” of the debate.

Expressing his displeasure over PAU auditorium being used for a political event, former vice-chancellor of the university, Kirpal Singh Aulakh remembered how he had denied the request from Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in 2004 to use PAU as venue for then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s rally. “It was in May 2004 that then PM Vajpayee had to address a rally for Lok Sabha polls and they wanted to use PAU as the venue. From PMO to Punjab Governor, local police to Ludhiana deputy commissioner, everyone approached me but I firmly said no and did not allow a political event inside the campus. Only I know how I handled its repercussions. From political accusations that I did it on saying of then Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh (then in Congress) to flood of calls from Delhi, I faced everything but did not let PAU become a political battleground,” wrote Dr Aulakh on his Facebook account.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Dr Aulakh who headed PAU for six years said: “It’s just about setting wrong precedent. Once you allow one programme, then you open the gates for such programmes forever. You cannot allow political interference in an educational institute of such esteem and repute. PAU is an autonomous varsity established under the Act of Parliament with Governor as its chancellor and head of the board of management. What happened yesterday was not any intellectual sharing of ideas or a healthy discussion but political mudslinging. There were several other venues to do it. It is also questionable that how a varsity officer was appointed as moderator of the political debate whereas rules say that PAU employees cannot participate in political activities.”

In 2007, he had resigned as PAU V-C in protest against then ruling Badal family over their alleged interference in varsity’s affairs.

Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, former V-C who headed the agricultural university for a decade, said that never in his association with the university since 1974 (as a student) and later as V-C, he could remember if PAU stage was used for such a purpose. “Holding government programmes on policy-making, meetings, discussions or seminars, is a different thing but allowing something where political battle was expected, is not right. The question is, even if other party leaders had joined yesterday, had they indulged in any fruitful discussion for betterment of Punjab? Any such activity or event which is completely political should not be allowed in the varsity campus,” said Dr Dhillon.

Dhillon said that in 2016, in run-up to 2017 Punjab assembly elections, he was approached to allow PAU as the venue for Captain Amarinder Singh’s “Coffee with Captain” political campaign. “I got a call from higher-up in 2016 to allow “Coffee with Captain” in the campus. I politely and firmly said no. If you allow once, you are opening the door forever for political parties to do such programmes in the campus.”

However, it was in 2012, during Dhillon’s tenure that it was decided to name a building in the campus after then CM Parkash Singh Badal but the decision was rolled back after the uproar.

V-C Dr Gosal said that they had received a call from CMO asking for the auditorium booking. “How could we have said no to a call from CMO? We did not give the auditorium to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) but CMO. It was also CM’s decision that Dr Jaura will moderate the debate,” said Dr Gosal, who attended the ‘debate’ as special invitee, as several protesters, unemployed teachers, anti-drug activists were detained outside.