Chandigarh, November 15: A Panjab University student whose video confronting Chandigarh Police during the recent protests went viral has received public support from Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh, who hailed her composure and courage during his Aura Tour 2025 concert in Australia.
“You must have seen that video,” Dosanjh told fans. “The girl from Panjab University saying ‘Let go of my arms.’ Our message is that Panjab University belongs to Punjab, and whatever belongs to Punjab should go to Punjab. The girls who showed such courage deserve a big round of applause.”
The video features Harmanpreet Kaur, a second-year Anthropology student from Sri Anandpur Sahib, asserting herself when a policewoman prevented her from entering her hostel in the early hours of November 10, a day marked by heightened security and heavy barricading. “Baanh chhaddo… je mere ’te pai gayi fer apna hisaab la li… ladte loki zindabad,” she said in the clip that quickly spread online.
Harmanpreet later said she had only asked to be allowed inside after showing her student ID. “None of the gates were open. A policewoman held my arm. I only asked her to let me go. Later, they allowed me to enter,” she recalled.
Her moment of defiance came amid the continuing unrest over the dissolution of PU’s Senate and Syndicate — a move that sparked widespread criticism before the Centre withdrew the notification. Students have been pressing for immediate announcement of the pending Senate elections, insisting that restoring the university’s governance cannot be delayed any longer.
On November 10, thousands of students, supported by political figures and farm unions, marched to demand the election schedule. PU closed its gates and suspended operations for the day, locking down the campus to prevent crowds from gathering.
Harmanpreet’s clip has now become a reference point in the ongoing agitation, with many online calling her reaction an embodiment of student anger over the prolonged void in PU’s democratic functioning and the heavy police deployment on campus.
