LS polls: Protest against imposed duty,150 professors to contest as Independent Candidates

Punjab: Protesting against Patiala District administration for imposing forecefully 350 professors and associate professors for election duty, in a first time ever, around 150 professors of Punjab University will now be contesting this Lok Sabha election across the state.

An additional 50 more professors sought permission from the University authorities to contest as Independent candidates. The varsity has so far permitted 100 candidates to contest the polls, NewIndianExpress reports.

Speaking against the imposed election duty, Rajinder Pal Singh Brar, a professor from Punjab varsity, said, “the teachers are agitated against the infringement of their constitutional right duly incorporated in the University calendar by putting them on election duties and squarely held the university administration responsible for teachers’ election duties. In the past as and when such eventuality arose the university administration successfully managed the affairs. Ironically this time their response is wanting.”

Under this ‘right to contest elections’,the professors can join, support, poopagate any political party without resigning from their post as per the University’s calendar.

Professor Jaswinder Singh Brar convenor of Democratic Teachers Front, said, “we have been called for election rehearsal on Sunday but we will not attend it and sit on protest outside VC office and then decide further course of action. Earlier Professor Teja Singh Tiwana from Janta Dal and Professor Umesh Chander Singh from BJP had fought the elections”.