Akali Dal Advises Punjab CM to Avoid Meeting Khattar over College Affiliation Issue

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has urged the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann not to hold a meeting with the Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, over the issue of affiliation of Haryana colleges with Panjab University. The first meeting in this regard took place on June 1, during which, the Governor of Punjab flagged the possibility of colleges in Haryana being affiliated with Panjab University, which led to a strong reaction from Bhagwant Mann. The SAD senior leader, Daljit Singh Cheema, stated that Haryana did not have any stake in Panjab University after the disaffiliation of its colleges in 1978. Cheema alleged that such attempts were being made to weaken Punjab’s hold in the UT administration. Furthermore, he said that efforts were being made to dilute Punjab’s claim to the University, which presently has only colleges from Punjab affiliated to it. In last year’s unanimously passed resolution, the Haryana Government recommended seeking the restoration of the state’s share in the Panjab University.