Hisar university students relent after Haryana govt panel accepts demands
Students at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU) in Hisar, who had been demanding the resignation of vice-chancellor BR Kamboj after the June 10 lathi-charge, on Wednesday agreed to call off their protest after a four-member Haryana government panel agreed to accept their demands. Students of the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU) in Hisar, who had been demanding the resignation of vice-chancellor BR Kamboj after the June 10 lathi-charge, agreed to call off their protest on Wednesday. (HT file photo)
Interacting with mediapersons at the PWD rest house in Hisar, the agitating students said that state education minister Mahipal Dhanda, who was heading the panel, agreed to accept seven of their demands and negotiated on the eighth one pertaining to Kamboj's resignation.
Student representatives said the minister assured them over phone that the vice-chancellor will be sent on six-month leave until a three-member judicial committee submits its report over his role in the lathi-charge. The minister accepted their other demands. 'Chief security officer Sukhbir Singh will be banned from holding this position on the main campus of the varsity; no legal and disciplinary action will be taken against the protesting students; all exams along with seminars and thesis submission and PG entrance will be rescheduled after at least three weeks; two representatives in the academic council will be directly elected by the students; uniform fee structure for junior research fellowship (JRF) availing students and non-JRF students; barring registrar Pawan Kumar, dean, social welfare, Madan Khichar from holding administrative posts until their retirement,' a student representative said.
The students said that their other demands, such as revision of the stipend structure, rollback of seat reservations for land donation villages (LDV) and withdrawal of the 93rd amendment of university calendar volume- II were accepted.
The protesters said that they have taken back their ultimatum of closing all four gates of the university on June 27.
Earlier, the government panel that also included social justice and empowerment minister Krishan Bedi and Nalwa MLA Randhir Panihar held five rounds of talks with the protesters on Saturday and Sunday. The talks remained inconclusive as the students were adamant on the removal of the vice-chancellor.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Tariffs as a tool to extort, and slight India's sovereignty
US President Donald Trump, in an executive order dated July 31, announced imposing an additional 25% tariff on all Indian imports, on grounds of national emergency and lack of reciprocity. Trump has also said that he would impose an undetermined 'penalty' on India for buying oil and weapons from Russia. This latest measure is further evidence of the complete derision with which the Trump administration deals with its partners and with international law. Insulting a partner's economy by calling it 'dead', as Trump has done with India, undermines the cardinal principles of mutual respect and sovereign equality that are fundamental to international relations. The American penalty threat to India also violates general international laws of non-intervention in a country's sovereign affairs, as laid down by the ICJ. (HT Photo) It is worth noting that India and the US have been negotiating a bilateral trade agreement since March 2025. Despite the ongoing negotiations, the Trump administration announced reciprocal tariffs on India in April, which were then put on hold, subject to the sides quickly agreeing to an interim trade deal. The two sides have not reached an agreement on an interim trade deal because, reportedly, India is unwilling to open its agricultural and dairy markets. This stance is understandable, as it aims to protect India's politically-sensitive farming sector. The US announcement of a 25% tariff is a blatant attempt to pressure India into agreeing to a trade deal. As per the executive order, this additional tariff will remain until the two sides agree to a trade deal. The US is trying to negotiate while holding a gun to India's head. These tariffs would hit Indian exports to the US, especially of labour-intensive sectors such as textiles. Additionally, the US imposing an additional 25% tariff on all Indian goods is a blatant violation of international law. It not only breaches the most favoured nation principle laid down in Article I of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) but also violates the US's bound tariff commitments — a promise not to impose tariffs that exceed the rates mutually agreed upon — under Article II of GATT. The current situation extends beyond merely imposing high tariff rates. Trump's assertion that India would incur a penalty for purchasing oil and weapons from Russia constitutes a frontal assault on India's sovereignty. It's unclear whether this penalty refers to additional tariffs or something different. Regardless, the threat of such a penalty violates several fundamental canons of international law. Let us examine this under the law of the World Trade Organization (WTO), of which both India and the US are founding members. Under the WTO law, a member country is not allowed to adopt unilateral trade measures against another member country unless supported by the WTO agreement. A key provision in this regard is that a WTO member country can limit or even forbid trade with another member country on grounds of national security. This principle is codified in Article XXI of GATT, which, inter alia, allows a country to take any actions it deems necessary for protecting its essential security interests during times of war or other emergencies in international relations. This includes measures such as imposing a trade embargo. The WTO panels have interpreted this principle narrowly. The Russian invasion of Ukraine represents an emergency in international relations. This situation could potentially empower the US to sever its trade ties with Russia. However, the US cannot legally justify restricting trade with countries that engage in commerce with Russia. Imposing additional tariffs on India would be too disconnected from the security threats posed by Russia's aggression in Ukraine to the US, making such an action implausible. The American penalty threat to India also violates the general international law of non-intervention in a country's sovereign affairs, as laid down by the International Court of Justice in the US v Nicaragua case. From whom to buy oil and weapons is part of India's reserved domain, that is, part of India's sovereign economic and foreign policy. While the US may disapprove of India's policy choices and may seek to influence them through legal measures, it cannot impose unlawful actions — such as tariffs that are WTO-inconsistent — to coerce India into signing a trade deal or to punish it for lawfully trading with Russia. This, as international lawyer Marko Milanovic describes it, can be characterised as coercion-as-extortion, which violates customary international law. However, viewing the latest actions of Trump merely from the vantage point of international trade would mean missing the woods for the trees. The US, under Trump, appears determined to wage a war with international law and the liberal international order it assiduously built after World War II. The US has traditionally maintained a policy of exceptionalism regarding international law, viewing itself as 'distinct' and thus an 'exception' to the rules that apply to other countries. However, the Trump administration has escalated this attitude to a whole new level. American professor Mark Pollack has rightly described Trump as a 'hostile change agent' in international law who adopts unilateral measures that undermine the international rule of law and topple the law-based order. This is different from many past American presidents who might be characterised as 'traditional change agents' trying to persuade others to accept change based on reinterpretation of existing norms or even adoption of new ones. The real worry is that the current hostility to international law might get so entrenched that it would be difficult to reverse it even after Trump leaves office. Keeping this larger picture in mind, India should stand up against American bullying. While the US is undoubtedly a significant partner for India, New Delhi should send a clear message that it cannot be taken for granted. One effective way to convey this message would be to legally challenge the US's illegal tariffs at the WTO's dispute settlement body. A just and fair rule-based international order is the best antidote to Trumpian unilateralism. India, an essential member of the comity of nations, should take a lead in industriously defending the international rule of law. Prabhash Ranjan is professor and vice-dean (research), Jindal Global Law School. The views expressed are personal.
Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Punjab Congress MP alleges threat to son's life by gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria
Gurdaspur Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who is also a former deputy chief minister of Punjab, on Friday alleged that jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria had threatened to kill his son, Udhayveer Singh Randhawa. Gurdaspur Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who is also a former deputy chief minister of Punjab, on Friday alleged that jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria had threatened to kill his son, Udhayveer. (HT file photo) In a post shared on X, Randhawa said: 'Jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria has threatened to kill my son. One of my associates met my son and within an hour of leaving he was fired upon today.' The Lok Sabha member, who is in Delhi for the monsoon session, refused to be intimidated and said: 'I am in Delhi for the Parliament session. No gangster can shake me.' He blamed chief minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal for 'turning Punjab into a gangster's paradise where law and order has totally collapsed'. The incident comes a little over a month after Bhagwanpuria's mother, Harjit Kaur, and their relative, Karanvir Singh, were shot dead at Batala in Gurdaspur district on June 26. The rival Davinder Bambiha gang took responsibility for the murder. Bhagwanpuria's relatives had named Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and his son Udhayveer in the complaint after the double murder. The gangster, who has links with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, is lodged in Assam's Silchar Central Jail since March after being detained under the stringent Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Since 2012, Bhagwanpuria faces 128 cases, including murders, extortion, Arms Act violations and 13 crimes under the NDPS Act. He is also suspected to be involved in the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala. Reacting to the threat, Punjab Congress president and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said, 'A gangster has the audacity to threaten a senior Indian National Congress leader and a former deputy chief minister and a sitting MP, from inside the jail! Imagine the plight of common people in Punjab. They are at the mercy of gangsters. The Aam Aadmi Party has destroyed Punjab. We in the Congress will not be intimidated. As Randhawa sahab has put it simple and straight. But that does not mean that the AAP government can run away from its responsibility.'
Hindustan Times
18 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Ajnala police station attack: Court frames charges against 41, including 9 Amritpal aides
A local court in Amritsar on Thursday framed charges against 41 accused, including nine close aides of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, in the Ajnala police station attack case. Supporters of Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh clashing with police personnel in Ajnala. (HT File) The accused, including nine aides of the jailed MP, were produced in the court of additional session judge Parinder Singh amid tight security. The radical Sikh leader, who heads Waris Punjab De (WPD), is still lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam after his detention under the National Security Act (NSA) was extended by a year. The rest of his aides have been brought back to the state to face trial in various cases after the Punjab government revoked their detentions under the NSA in March and April. Among those produced in court include Kulwant Singh Rauke, Bhagwant Singh alias Pardhan Mantri Bajeke, Amritpal's uncle Harjeet Singh Chacha, Gurinder Pal Singh alias Guri, Gurmeet Singh Bukanwala, Daljit Singh Kalsi, Basant Singh, Varinder Singh Johal and Varinder Singh alias Fauji. All nine were lodged in Assam. Charges were framed against 41 persons under section 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (assault on public servant), 186 (obstructing any public servant in the discharge of his public functions), 506 (Criminal intimidation), 332 (causes hurt to any person being a public servant), 333 (causing grievous hurt to deter a public servant from their duty), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 427 (causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees or upwards), 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of an offence) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 25 of Arms Act, defence council advocate Rituraj Singh Sandhu said. In February 2023, Amritpal and his associates were booked under various charges for allegedly attacking the Ajnala police station to get one of his aides released from the cops' custody. Six cops were injured in the clash. A month later, on March 18, police began a crackdown against Amritpal and his aides. Police intercepted Amritpal's cavalcade near Mehatpur town in Jalandhar, but the WPD chief managed to give the cop a slip along with his close aide Papalpreet. What followed was a month-long manhunt which culminated on April 23 when Amritpal surrendered at Rode village in Moga district. Advocate Sandhu said the evidence trial would start from August 2 in this case. 'The prosecution will present evidence and witnesses in the court. The trial will be conducted daily as per the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. This case will have to be settled in two months,' Sandhu said. 'Amritpal will not be part of the trial as his NSA detention hasn't ended,' the lawyer added. Cops made us sign statements against Amritpal: Bhagwant While being produced in court, jail MP's close aide Bhagwant Singh denied that he made any statements which claimed that the radical Sikh leader 'consumes drugs' while being lodged in Dibrugarh jail. His statement came after police filed a challan in Ajnala court last week, submitting statements made by Bhagwant and Varinder, which mentioned 'allegations' against Amritpal. As the cops were taking Bhagwant to court, he started shouting, apparently making a statement for the media present that his statement had been taken under duress. 'The police have alleged that Amritpal consumes drugs based on my statement. They forcibly made us sign scores of papers and got our statements recorded. All these allegations are false,' he said. Amritpal's counsel, Imaan Singh Khara, said the statements had no legal value 'These were recorded under Section 27 of the Indian Evidence Act and could easily be challenged in the court. Statements recorded in police custody are not relied upon by the court,' he said. There was also a minor scuffle between the kin of the accused as the cops as the former tried to get close to them.
