The notification amends the Panjab University Act, 1947, reducing the size of the Senate to 31, doing away with elections for its executive body, the Syndicate, and abolishing the graduate constituency of the Senate.

Chandigarh: Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday slammed the BJP-led Centre over the issue of restructuring the Panjab University's Senate and Syndicate, alleging that attempts are being made to "finish this varsity in a systematic way by the BJP and the RSS." Channi joined the ongoing protest of the PU students against the Centre's latest move of restructuring the Panjab University's Senate and Syndicate via an October 28 notification.

The notification amends the Panjab University Act, 1947, reducing the size of the Senate to 31, doing away with elections for its executive body, the Syndicate, and abolishing the graduate constituency of the Senate.

The students are also demanding the withdrawal of the "no-protest" affidavit, introduced in June this year by the PU. The affidavit requires students to declare that they will not participate in protests or demonstrations on campus, protesting students have claimed while terming it "undemocratic." Panjab University Campus Students' Council general secretary Abhishek Dagar is on a hunger strike over the affidavit issue.

Speaking to the media, senior Congress leader Channi lashed out at the BJP-led Centre for restructuring the PU's governing bodies.

"It is a murder of democracy," he alleged.

"Attempts are being made to finish the university in a systematic way by the BJP and the RSS," Channi alleged.

He further alleged that the RSS has "completely controlled" the university.

He alleged that the strength of senators has been reduced from 91 to 31.

"We will fight it out," he said.

He urged the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to convene a session of the Punjab Assembly to discuss this issue.

The Jalandhar MP further said he will raise this matter in Parliament.

He demanded that the decision of restructuring the PU's Senate and Syndicate be withdrawn.

Referring to the affidavit issue, Channi said students are being barred from staging 'dharnas'.

He said he urged all political parties to rise above party lines to save this institution.

The BJP-led government at the Centre is facing flak from the ruling AAP in Punjab, Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal after it restructured Panjab University's Senate and Syndicate.

CM Mann slammed the Centre on Sunday for restructuring PU's governing bodies, terming the move "unconstitutional" and "dictatorial".

The AAP government is not averse to moving court in the matter, he had said.

Mann had claimed the Centre does not have the power to amend the Panjab University Act, 1947, through a notification to change the complexion and character of the Senate and Syndicate.

"Either the assembly can amend it, or the matter has to be taken to Parliament. But none of that happened. By issuing the notification, the BJP has revealed its anti-Punjab face. Earlier too, they made many such attempts," Mann had claimed.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)