Archive · 1 Oct 2026
LPU Chancellor Calls Campus Violence a ‘Big Conspiracy’
Students at Lovely Professional University protested after posts online claimed that a female student had been sexually assaulted.
The posts spread quickly and led to large gatherings on campus.
The protest later became violent, with reports of damaged property, fires and clashes.
Some protesters also climbed onto an old fighter aircraft and a tank displayed at the university.
Students said the alleged assault had been covered up, while the chancellor said no victim had been found.
Police registered a rape case after receiving a complaint from students.
Later, police and university authorities said they had found no evidence confirming the alleged assault.
Chancellor Ashok Mittal said the unrest may have been part of an organised attempt to destabilise Punjab.
The High Court has asked for a report about what happened.
LPU Chancellor and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal called the campus violence a “big” or “highly organised conspiracy” aimed at destabilising Punjab.
Protests began after social-media claims alleged that a female student had been sexually assaulted inside a hostel.
Police and university authorities later said preliminary inquiries found no evidence confirming the alleged assault, although police had registered a rape case based on students’ complaint.
The unrest escalated into vandalism, arson allegations, clashes and a highway blockade; protesters also climbed onto a decommissioned MiG-23 aircraft and a military tank.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court sought a status report, while a petition requested a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the violence.
- Who
- Lovely Professional University students, Chancellor and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal, Punjab Police, university authorities and the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
- What
- Protests over an alleged sexual assault escalated into campus violence, vandalism, arson allegations and a highway blockade.
- When
- The major protest occurred on September 27, with classes suspended from September 28; Mittal spoke on September 30, and a report was published on October 1, 2026.
- Where
- Lovely Professional University in Phagwara, Punjab, and a highway outside the campus; the reports refer to the New Delhi-Amritsar and Jalandhar-Phagwara highways.
- Why
- Students sought answers over the alleged assault and alleged administrative suppression, while Mittal said fabricated online claims and a wider conspiracy triggered the unrest.
Students’ Allegations
Chancellor and Authorities’ Claims
Alleged sexual assault
Students’ Allegations
Students alleged that an outsider sexually assaulted a female student on campus and that the administration suppressed the matter.
Chancellor and Authorities’ Claims
Mittal said no victim had been found, while police and university authorities said preliminary inquiries found no evidence confirming the alleged incident. Police nevertheless registered a rape case after a student complaint.
Cause of the unrest
Students’ Allegations
Students said the protest was a response to the alleged assault and the university’s handling of it.
Chancellor and Authorities’ Claims
Mittal described the violence as a “big” or “highly organised conspiracy” and said fabricated social-media claims may have been used to create unrest and destabilise Punjab.
Responsibility for violence
Students’ Allegations
Students claimed masked outsiders damaged property, ransacked shops and set parts of the campus on fire.
Chancellor and Authorities’ Claims
The reports say the claims about who organised the violence remain unestablished; Mittal questioned who was behind the unrest and who allowed it to happen.
- University
- Lovely Professional University in Phagwara, Punjab
- Chancellor
- Ashok Mittal, also described as a BJP Rajya Sabha MP
- Initial trigger
- Social-media claims alleged that a female student had been sexually assaulted inside a hostel
- Police action
- Police registered a rape case based on a students’ complaint and booked unidentified people over violence and arson
- University response
- Regular classes were suspended for 10 days and mid-term examinations were postponed until further notice
- Court action
- The Punjab and Haryana High Court sought a status report from the Punjab government or Punjab Police
- Related incident
- Mittal and police referred to separate unrest at Chitkara University in Rajpura after unverified online claims
