Chandigarh, March 10 -- Over 30 students were detained by the UT police on Monday morning after they attempted to stage a protest at Panjab University against the presence of speakers associated with the RSS and the BJP at a lecture on Sikh history. According to student representatives, those detained had gathered near the Student Centre to begin a protest march when police intervened and took them into custody. The lecture, held at the university's Law Auditorium, was titled "Sacrifice, Equality and Moral Authority: Sikh History, Guru Tegh Bahadur and the Panj Pyare in the Indian Civilisational Ethos". The keynote address was delivered by Iqbal Singh Lalpura, a former IPS officer and BJP leader, who previously served as chairman of the National Commission for Minorities. Banvir Singh, a senior functionary of the RSS, who currently serves as the "Uttar Kshetra Pracharak Pramukh" (north zone publicity head), attended the event as chief guest. Vice-chancellor Renu Vig was also present during the programme. Opposition to the event had been building over the past few days. A group of students had earlier met university officials to raise their concerns and submitted a memorandum citing a 2004 directive issued by Joginder Singh Vedanti advising Sikh institutions to remain vigilant against attempts to interpret Sikh history through organisations linked to the RSS. Ashmeet Singh, vice-president of the Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC), said, "Students had gathered at the Student Centre to protest against the speakers invited for the lecture. However, many of us were detained before the march could begin." During the lecture, two members of student organisation PSU Lalkaar had interrupted proceedings and spoke against the detention of students earlier in the day. They were asked to leave the auditorium by the police personnel present at the venue and later detained as well. PUCSC president Gauravveer Sohal said the authorities had taken necessary steps to maintain harmony on campus during the event, while describing the protest as a political move against the basic principle of freedom of speech. "Everyone has the right to express their views. While the administration may take action to maintain order, it should remain within reasonable limits," he said. The programme was organised by a group of students, including former PUCSC president Anurag Dalal and research scholar Vishal Malik, with the necessary permissions from university authorities. Officials maintained that the lecture was intended to discuss the life and legacy of Guru Tegh Bahadur. Yogesh Rawal, dean of student welfare at PU, said preventive steps were taken to ensure that the programme was not disrupted. He added that the university remained sensitive to the concerns raised by students, and emphasised that campuses should remain spaces for dialogue and discussion....