AAP, SAD comes to support of University professors demanding exemption from poll duties

PATIALA: The teaching faculty of the Punjabi University who have been protesting against deputation on election duties during the general elections-2019 have now got a shot in the arm as the political parties including Aam Aadmi Party and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had come to their support.

Aam Aadmi Party leader and leader of the opposition in Punjab assembly Harpal Singh Cheema, and SAD (B) President Sukhbir Singh Badal had raised their voice in support of the assistant professors and associate professors in the university and had urged the Punjab Chief Electoral Officer to exempt the teachers of the university from poll duties.

Crying foul over the issue Cheema wrote to the Punjab CEO and in his letter alleged that it was interference of Patiala district dispensation to involve some politically influential teachers of the Punjabi University owing allegiance to certain political outfits in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

He said as per the University calendar (Volume-1, page no. 58) the teachers the university were free to participate or join political parties of their choice and be involved in political affairs directly or indirectly. He said that besides this the university professors can even contest the elections with the permission of the University syndicate.

Cheema said assigning the teachers duties in the elections is detrimental to the principle of free and fair conduct of elections due to their political affiliations.

This is while the University professors have been protesting on the campus against their deputation on election duties since days.

Over 300 assistant professors and associate professors have been deployed on election duties. The university teaching faculty have been protesting against this and have also decided to boycott rehearsals for the duties supposed to begin on Sunday.

Professor Kesar Bhangu said, “We have been sitting on the protest over this demand as this is our constitutional right. An inquiry should be done into this matter why the teaching faculty of the university, for the first time, had been assigned the duties in this elections whereas it has not been done ever in the past.”

Sukhbir said that it would be unfair to tie down the university assistant and associate professors with election duties as they are free to take political positions as per the University calendar. They can’t be expected to stay neutral in the election process.

Already, around 100 university professors had sought permission from the university to contest elections as part of their protest against the poll duties.