LPU Violence: Founder Ashok Mittal on viral rumors of rape, violence and ‘larger conspiracy’ to defame Punjab | Interview | Today’s news

On the morning of September 27, Punjab’s Lovely Professional University (LPU) Phagwara was rocked by violent protests after a rumor of an alleged rape of a female student on campus spread rapidly on social media platforms. Riots continued throughout the day until midnight.

The university, one of India’s largest private higher education institutions, has denied the allegation Punjab Police they say they have registered a case and are trying to verify whether the alleged assault last week took place or not.

Read also | Violent LPU protests: PS5, phones, looted money; but one thing remains intact

Police have yet to identify the alleged perpetrator and CCTV footage has not produced any evidence to support the claim. Classes are suspended for the time being. Most of the hostel residents have left the campus while investigations are underway to identify those responsible for spreading the rumors and those involved in the violence that followed.

Ashok Mittal, Founder-Chancellor of LPU saying the rumors were “100 million percent false” and the entire incident – from provoking social media reports to violence – was part of a larger conspiracy hatched by nefarious elements to spread anarchy and destabilize Punjab.

“It all started with a post on Reddit which suddenly spread like wildfire on WhatsApp and other social media channels. The students were provoked and incited by outsiders who wanted to destalize the campus and bring a bad name,” Mittal told LiveMint in an exclusive interview at his 5 Firozshah Road residence in New Delhi on October 1.

The riots began on the morning of September 27 and continued for several hours until midnight in a sprawling area 600-acre campus which attracts thousands of students from India and abroad.

“So far, it has been established that no such incident took place. And we know that similar rumors about female students came from Chitkara University in Rajpura just 24 hours before the events at LPU. This is clearly an intention to malign Punjab,” he says.

LPU was founded in 2005

Founded in 2005, LPU has more than 40,000 students, including 28,000 boarders, enrolled today, according to Mittal. The roots of the institution are linked to the Lovely Group, which was originally founded as a confectionary by Baldev Raj Mittal, the founder chairman of the Lovely Group. The family expanded from business to education in 1999 before officially establishing LPU in 2005, Ashok Mittal is one of three sons of Baldev Mittal.

“It all started with a post on Reddit which suddenly spread like wildfire on WhatsApp and other social media channels. The students were provoked and incited by outsiders who wanted to destalise the campus and bring it into disrepute,” Mittal told LiveMint in an exclusive interview at his 5 Firozshah Road residence in New Delhi.(Gulam Jeelani)

In July this year, Ashok Mittal severed ties with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and joined the BJP along with his three colleagues: Harbhajan Singh, Sandeep Pathak and Raghav Chadha. Months before the change, the Enforcement Directorate raided premises linked to Mittal, including Lovely Professional University in Phagwara, as part of the programme. FEMA investigation to foreign financial transactions.

What happened on September 27?

The campus violence began in the early hours of September 27 when news spread that a female student had been raped near one of the university’s hostels a few days earlier.

The suspect was described by some students as a plumber, painter or construction worker. Some students said the assault took place on September 23 and accused the university of failing to act.

Agitating students gathered in large numbers to demand accountability, security reviews and action from university authorities.

Looted PS5, phones, laptops, Prada perfumes

Images and videos of Sunday’s violence show vehicles on fire and baton-wielding police as riots spilled outside the university’s gates and crowds filled New Delhi – Amritsar National Highway.

Masked protesters damaged police vehicles and vandalized parts of the campus. In order to control the situation, physical classes were suspended for ten days, exams were postponed and internet access around the campus was temporarily interrupted on Sunday evening. The unrest continued until Sunday midnight.

Viral videos showed people getting carried away PS5 console. The PS5 Slim Disc Edition usually stands around ₹55,000. Even customers’ phones left for repair were allegedly stolen.

“Things are completely under control now. Some students have left. Physical classes are suspended but online classes are on,” Mittal said. The Kapurthala police have registered a case of rape under Section 64 of the Act Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against an unknown person after the riots.

Mittal said he was most disappointed that symbols of national security, such as a MiG-23 fighter jet donated by the Indian Air Force and installed as a memorial near the university’s main gate, were also attacked.

“Efforts are being made to drive a wedge between the Hindu and Sikh communities in Punjab. There is an attempt to spread anarchy across the state. There is a MiG-23 – gifted to me Indian Air Force at the main gate as a memorial. You may have seen videos of people climbing and dancing on it. This is an attempt to demoralize our armed forces,” said the founder of Lovely Professional University.

“conspiracy against Punjab”

BJP MP says police are trying to trace origin of viral posts. Asked if it was a political conspiracy, Mittal said he would not use the word even as Punjab is gearing up for assembly elections next year. Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

“My business friends have told me that they are thinking of leaving Punjab. Those who want to invest are rethinking their plans. The LPU violence is one of a series of incidents that led to this situation. First it was drugs, then gangsters came and now it is law and order. It is hurting not only LPU but the whole of Punjab,” he said.

Read also | AAP says the LPU situation is under control as the SIT is probing the incidents

Amid this turmoil, the university attempted to diffuse the rape allegations. On Monday, the LPU released a video of three women living in a dormitory linked to the alleged incident. The students said nothing happened there and asked people to stop disturbing them.

Phagwara: Punjab Police personnel stand guard at the Lovely Professional University (LPU) campus as students leave for their hometowns, Monday, September 28, 2026, in Phagwara, Punjab. The university authorities suspended regular classes for 10 days and postponed mid-semester exams following violent campus protests and blockades of national highways triggered by alleged sex rumors sparked by unverified social media. (PTI Photo) (PTI09_28_2026_000451B)(PTI)

We know that similar rumors about female students came from Chitkara University just 24 hours before the events at LPU. This is clearly an intention to defame Punjab.

The same students later claimed in another video that university officials instructed them on what to say, edited the recording and released it without their consent. LiveMint was unable to independently verify these claims. Even the university management did not comment on the students’ accusations.

“I am happy that across all political sections, be it the ruling AAP or the opposition, everyone has condemned the incident and said that LPU is not responsible. My message to the students is University is with you Their genuine demands have also been addressed earlier and will be addressed in the future as well,” Mittal said.