Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke broke his silence on the escalating unrest at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, Punjab, on Sunday. He rejected the notion that students must resort to street protests to secure basic bodily autonomy. "A university campus should be one of the safest places for a woman. If women don't feel safe even inside their hostels, we have a serious problem," Dipke stated, emphasizing that pleading for safety is unacceptable in 2026.
The political commentary followed a day of chaotic confrontations inside the LPU campus. Visuals from Phagwara showed heavy police presence as students clashed with security forces. The unrest triggered by social media reports alleging a student was raped on campus quickly turned violent, prompting authorities to deploy a massive security cordon. Police have not yet confirmed the rape or identified any accused, but an FIR has been registered against multiple unknown persons.
Punjab Police Director General Fayaz Farooqui confirmed that more than 2,000 personnel were deployed to maintain law and order. The deployment included a flag march conducted by Punjab Police earlier in the day. Jalandhar Police Commissioner Satinder Singh, however, attempted to quell panic by dismissing reports of disturbances inside hostels as rumors, claiming all dormitories had been checked and the situation was under control. Despite these assurances, the atmosphere remained tense as students began packing their belongings.
LPU administration announced that regular classes would remain suspended for 10 days starting September 28. Mid-term examinations were also postponed until further notice. The university advised students wishing to leave the campus to coordinate with their parents or guardians, urging them to avoid unnecessary movement or involvement in any unrest-related activities. The situation remains fluid as the investigation into the alleged incident continues.