After a year of their studies, Deshbhagat Dental College Muktsar Punjab has shown the door to 13 Kashmiri students whose admission was cancelled by Punjab government with the college management refusing to return their fee and certificates.
The situation at the college became tense after all Kashmiri students went on a night-long protest demanding end to the stalemate. “We had taken admission in BDS at the college in 2014 and early this year they told us that our admission is cancelled as Punjab government doesn’t allow students who have not qualified the entrance test. But at the time of admission they never told us of this condition,” said a student.
“We went to High Court and Supreme Court but our case was rejected. Now the college management was not giving back our testimonials and the fee.”
According to students, the college management was promising the students that they will get reprieve from some political intervention.
“They have been lying all along. We were in the process of losing another academic year and they were concerned about their money. Some of us wanted to get admission in some other college and September 29 is the last date of all admissions,” said another student. Fearing for the career of these students, the entire Kashmiri student community went for a night-long protest demanding return of testimonials and fee of the affected students.
In the morning, Deputy Commissioner Muktsar visited the college and after negotiations with college authorities, got the fee and testimonials returned to the Kashmiri students.
“They deducted Rs 75000 and other charges and returned rest of the money. And within minutes they ordered the closure of the college. They ordered every Kashmiri student to vacate the hostel or otherwise face hefty fee,” said a girl student.
