10 hrs ago
Violent LPU Protests Trigger Political Blame Game in Phagwara
Students at Lovely Professional University protested after claims about a female student spread online.
Police said the claims had not initially been confirmed.
The university said the allegations were false and fabricated.
The protest later became violent, with some property damaged and objects set on fire.
Students also blocked a major highway near Phagwara.
Police used a lathi-charge after the blockade continued.
Police have opened an investigation and formed a special team to check what happened.
Political leaders said students’ concerns should be answered, but violence and damage were unacceptable.
Student protests at Lovely Professional University turned violent, with property damage, fires and a highway blockade reported.
The unrest followed unverified social-media claims that a female student had been sexually assaulted on campus.
Police initially said they had no confirmed information, while LPU called the allegations false, baseless and fabricated.
Police used a lathi-charge after the blockade continued; students and police personnel were reportedly injured.
Political leaders demanded accountability and an impartial probe, while traffic and truck movement remained severely disrupted.
- Who
- Students of Lovely Professional University, Punjab Police, university authorities and political leaders including Partap Singh Bajwa, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Raj Kumar Gupta.
- What
- A student protest became violent, causing property damage, fires, injuries and a blockade of the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway.
- Where
- Lovely Professional University and nearby roads in Phagwara, Punjab, including the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway.
- When
- The protest turned violent on Sunday, September 27, 2026, with political reactions reported the same day.
- Why
- The protest began after unverified social-media claims alleging that a female student had been sexually assaulted on campus; police and the university disputed that the claim was initially substantiated.
Calls for Student Accountability and Public Order
Calls for Transparency and Student Answers
Handling the protest
Calls for Student Accountability and Public Order
Raj Kumar Gupta said students have the right to protest but should not damage property, engage in stone-pelting or inconvenience commuters. He urged them to call off the protest.
Calls for Transparency and Student Answers
Partap Singh Bajwa and Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said students’ concerns deserved urgent, transparent, impartial and time-bound answers.
Status of the allegations
Calls for Student Accountability and Public Order
Punjab Police initially said it had no confirmed information of a sexual-assault crime, and Lovely Professional University described the allegations as false, baseless and fabricated.
Calls for Transparency and Student Answers
Police later registered an FIR based on a student’s statement and formed a Special Investigation Team to establish whether the allegations were supported by evidence.
Responsibility for the unrest
Calls for Student Accountability and Public Order
Political critics, including Congress leaders, questioned the Punjab government’s communication, accountability and law-and-order response.
Calls for Transparency and Student Answers
The university urged students, parents and the public not to circulate unverified information, while police launched a wider inquiry into the causes of the sudden violence.
Key facts
- Institution
- Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara
- Trigger
- Unverified social-media claims alleging sexual assault involving a female student
- Police action
- An FIR was registered based on a student’s statement and a Special Investigation Team was formed
- Crowd-control action
- Police used a lathi-charge after protesters continued blocking the highway
- Traffic impact
- The Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway was blocked, stranding vehicles and disrupting truck drivers
- Reported injuries
- Students and police personnel were reported injured
- Political response
- Congress leaders sought transparent answers and a fair probe; BJP leader Raj Kumar Gupta also called for an investigation
Quotes
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring
Punjab Congress leader
“We have been stranded since 7 AM; there is no sign of things opening up yet… We are extremely distressed… We have had to abandon our vehicles and flee”
news18.com
“The bigger question is: why has the @AAPPunjab govt failed to ensure timely communication, accountability and confidence among students?”
news18.com
Sources
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