Chandigarh, Nov 8 (IANS): Member of Parliament from Sangrur in Punjab, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, on Friday slammed the Union government for indulging in a 'conspiracy' by not conducting the Senate elections of Panjab University in Chandigarh, and said this would not be taken lying down to keep its status intact.

In a letter to Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is the Chancellor, with regard to conducting elections to the Senate of the university, the Aam Aadmi Party MP said earlier too, that the Union government tried “a devious ploy to snatch away the university from Punjab by deciding to go in for the centralisation of the university”.

“Owing to the fierce opposition of the Punjab government, the Union government had to step back. A resolution was also passed in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha against the centralization of the Panjab University,” he said.

Meet Hayer said the “spirit of democracy is being muzzled by not conducting the elections to the Senate which runs the university”. Reiterating the commitment of the state government on issues of Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiyat, Meet Hayer appealed to the Vice President to immediately intervene in the matter.

In the letter to the Vice President, he said “no assault or erosion of the status of Panjab University would be tolerated as it is our heritage and its status dates back to the pre-Partition era. The institution is the crown of the state of Punjab. Hence, I appeal that the Senate elections to the university must be held sooner”.

The Punjab Assembly in 2022 passed a resolution against the attempt to alter the status of Panjab University into a Central University, while urging the Centre not to consider any change in the nature and character of the institution.

The resolution said any decision to change the university’s character would not be acceptable to the people of Punjab and, therefore, any proposal in this regard should be dropped with immediate effect.