Amid backlash over PU renaming demand, PUCSC prez shelves proposal, issues apology
Chandigarh: Facing intense criticism from students, alumni, and political voices across Punjab, Panjab University Campus Students' Council (PUCSC) president Anurag Dalal has decided not to submit his proposal seeking to rename Panjab University as 'Panjab and Haryana University'.
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The proposal, which had drawn support from Rohtak MP
, has been stalled amid growing opposition.
Dalal, in a video uploaded on social media, issued an apology. "I am not into divisive things… if anyone felt bad, I apologise," he said. Though the proposal had not yet been submitted to the vice-chancellor, Dalal confirmed he would not be going ahead with it.
The move has triggered strong reactions from former Panjab University student leaders.
Aam Aadmi Party MP Malvinder Singh Kang, who served as PUCSC president in 2002 and 2003, said, "Panjab University is not just an academic institution — it is Punjab's cultural, emotional and historical legacy. Its name reflects our identity before and after Partition." Kang pointed out that Haryana's colleges had voluntarily disaffiliated from Panjab University in 1973, and said demands to rename it now were unconstitutional and baseless.
Congress leader and former PU student leader Brinder Dhillon also slammed the demand, calling it "an attack on the legacy of Punjabi language and heritage". He said the name Panjab University carries the weight of sacrifice and shared memory and should not be tampered with for political optics.
Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda had earlier endorsed the renaming idea, saying it would acknowledge Haryana's contribution and that he would raise the matter in Parliament.
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Several leaders from Punjab, cutting across party lines, rejected the statement. AAP and BJP both termed it an insult to Punjab's heritage. Despite the growing backlash, Hooda has not issued any clarification. Repeated attempts to reach him for comment went unanswered.
The backlash extended into student politics. PUCSC vice president Archit Garg publicly opposed the proposal, calling it "unnecessary and disconnected from student needs". Dalal's former election ally Sikander Boora also criticised the move. Several members of Dalal's own party, Student Front, voiced dissent, with some describing the proposal as "a distraction from real student issues".
AAP spokesperson Neel Garg said some leaders were resorting to stunts instead of addressing real issues, while BJP Punjab spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal called the renaming proposal "an affront to Punjab's identity".
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