Estb. 1882

University of the Punjab

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No dispute over celebrating Holi at PU, spokesperson
No dispute over celebrating Holi at PU, spokesperson


LAHORE: (Tuesday, March 7, 2023): Punjab University spokesperson has clarified that there has been no fight on the matter of celebration of Holi in Punjab University and no Hindu student has been injured, contrary to the news published in various Pakistani newspapers and taken by several Indian media outlets. Rather, the spokesman said, a Muslim ethnic student organization belonging to other province has tried to use the name of Hindu students to achieve its own goals. According to the spokesman, the university administration allowed the Hindu community to celebrate Holi outside the PU gymnasium, which was agreed by the Hindu students too, but a Muslim ethnic student organization from another province forcibly changed the place to celebrate Holi without informing the administration and took loudspeakers and other equipment to the Law College ground. The spokesman said that the facts of the incidents are self-explanatory and proves that the issue has been deliberately created. The spokesman said that the university administration and guards reached the spot at the Law College ground where members of another Muslim student organization were discussing the issue of change of venue of Holi celebration. The university spokesperson explained that there was no incident of fighting erupted at the law college ground thus no Hindu student or any other student was injured there. The spokesman explained that when a Muslim ethnic student organization from another province surrounded the Vice-Chancellor's office after celebration of the Holi event, there was a scuffle between the security guards and the members of that particular Muslim ethnic student organization, but even in that quarrel no student sustained injury. The spokesperson said that all the minorities in Punjab University celebrate their religious festivals freely in which the administration provides them all the facilities and there are many examples of this. The spokesperson said that all the facts of the said incident indicate that a conspiracy has been hatched under a well-thought-out plan. He said that some student organizations are trying to spoil the atmosphere of the universities at the behest of the ulterior elements.