Amid the uproar, a video of a confrontation between a student and a policeman went viral on social media, making the student the face of the protest. In the clip, the student can be heard saying, “Baanh chhaddo… je mere tai pai gayi fer apna hisaab la li… ladte loki zindabad.”

The student was later identified as Harmanpreet Kaur, a resident of Sri Anandpur Sahib and a second-year student of the Department of Anthropology at Panjab University.

Harmanpreet said she had left for the university around 5 a.m., but all the gates were locked. “I had my I-card and wanted to go to the hostel, but I was not allowed inside. When I reached a gate, a policeman grabbed my arm. I just asked him to let me go. Later, they let me in,” she said, adding that the incident soon went viral on social media.

The protest, backed by several student organisations and local leaders, has demanded that the university hold the Senate elections without further delay.

Meanwhile, Harmanpreet’s family in Nurpur Khurd village of Rupnagar district expressed pride in her courage. Her father, Sukhbir Singh Sidhu, said, “My daughter knows how to fight for her rights. We are proud of her for making our village’s name known.” Her brother, Jasanpreet Singh, serves in the Indian Air Force, while her mother, Surinder Kaur, said she has always taught her children to stand up for what is right.

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