Protests against the Centre’s sweeping restructuring of Panjab University (PU) senate and syndicate spilled on to Chandigarh roads on Monday, igniting fierce dissent, debate and division across academic and political circles.

The Chandigarh unit of Punjab’s ruling AAP led a candlelight march at the Sector 17 Plaza while its councillors raised the issue in a Municipal Corporation House meeting, resulting in a ruckus before Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla of the BJP disallowed discussion, saying it did not fall under the civic body’s purview.

On the university campus, tensions escalated as students intensified their protest by shutting down Gate No. 2 and tried to gherao PU officials.

They launched an indefinite sit-in around 2 p.m., which was still continuing late into the night, preventing an

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