29 September 2026 Punjab Khabarnama Bureau : Opposition leaders in Punjab have alleged that Lovely Professional University founder and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal has been politically targeted following his move from the Aam Aadmi Party to the BJP.
The allegations emerged amid unrest at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, where protests by students led to clashes and a major law-and-order situation.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal alleged that the unrest was linked to Mittal’s political switch and called for an independent investigation. Other opposition leaders, including former Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar and Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, also called for an independent probe into the incident.
However, these are political allegations, and they have not been established as facts. The Punjab Police has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the unrest.
Police have also disputed claims that outsiders carrying walkie-talkies had infiltrated the university to provoke the protests. According to the Jalandhar Range DIG, the individuals carrying the equipment were identified as Indian Army personnel who were present to collect the child of an Army officer.
The development has therefore become both a law-and-order issue and a political controversy in Punjab.
The SIT investigation is expected to examine the sequence of events, the involvement of various groups and the circumstances surrounding the escalation of the student protests.