Activists of the Punjab Students’ Union (PSU) gheraoed the residence of Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan at Sandhwan village here on Wednesday, raising a series of demands related to education policy, job reservation and alleged fake police encounters. The protest was organised to demand that education be included in the state list, 90 per cent reservation in jobs for Punjab residents, besides a judicial inquiry into alleged fake police encounters involving youths.
Student leaders alleged the state government was compromising the state’s rights in favour of the Centre. They criticised the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. They said Punjab was among the first states to implement the policy and that its adverse effects had already started surfacing. They demanded that the policy be scrapped and replaced with a state-specific education policy.
They called for a legislation ensuring 90 per cent job reservation for locals, on the lines of states like Haryana and Karnataka. They also accused the ruling party of attempting to suppress people’s movements and alleged that the police were creating an atmosphere of fear.
As Sandhwan did not come out to accept the memorandum, protesters pasted copies of their memorandum on the main gate.