‘Women Should Not Have To Protest For Safety’: Abhijeet Dipke On LPU Unrest - VIDEO

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke on Monday reacted to the ongoing unrest at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, Punjab, after violence was reported on the campus over the weekend.

In a post on X, Dipke shared a purported video of a female student claiming that some armed outsiders had entered the premises of a girls' hostel. The student can be heard saying that residents had been instructed to remain inside their rooms amid security concerns.

Expressing concern over the reported situation, Dipke said university campuses should be among the safest places for women and that they should not have to protest or struggle for basic security.

“If women don’t feel safe even inside their hostels, we have a serious problem,” he wrote, adding that women should not have to “protest, plead or fight” for their safety.

Protests escalate over weekend

The protests at LPU began on Saturday over an alleged case involving the rape and suicide of a female student. The unrest escalated over the weekend, with incidents of vandalism and arson reported on the campus. Police vehicles were allegedly damaged, academic buildings were set on fire and explosions were reportedly heard from within the university premises.

Following the violence, LPU postponed its mid-term examinations and suspended regular classes for 10 days. Several students also left for their hometowns amid heavy police deployment.

University advises students to stay inside

The university advised students staying on campus to remain inside their hostels or residences and avoid unnecessary movement.

Students said the situation was peaceful on Monday morning but expressed concerns over security following Sunday's violence. One student told ANI that examinations had been postponed and regular classes suspended.

Another student claimed the university administration had informed them that the main Computer Science buildings were vandalised and set on fire during the unrest.