Arjan Dhillon’s show cancelled as 15,000 storm Panjab University

Chandigarh: Days ahead of Punjabi singer Gurdas Maan's show on the PU campus, massive mismanagement and overcrowding led to chaos at Panjab University's Jhankar festival on Thursday as Punjabi artist Arjan Dhillon's concert was cancelled at the last minute. Over 15,000 attendees — mostly students — flooded the venue, with many scaling the wall, days after Holi incident when videos had surfaced of students doing the same to access the campus. The event, organised by PUCSC president Anurag Dalal, saw thousands stranded.
The university administration worsened the situation by shutting down two of the three entry gates at 5:30 pm, leaving Gate No. 2 (Sector 15 side) as the only access point. However, no proper advisory about the gate closure was issued, and no traffic advisory was circulated. The lack of coordination between PU authorities and police resulted in complete traffic chaos, with vehicles stuck for hours and no parking space available.
A senior police official placed the blame on PU, stating that the university did not coordinate properly with law enforcement for crowd control. "The decision to close the gates was taken by PU itself. If they informed us earlier, we could prepare better," the official said. Dean of student welfare Prof Amit Chauhan admitted the administration underestimated the turnout. "We did not expect this huge rush," he said.
"The moment I reached, I saw some people jumping over walls because the crowd at the main gate was just not moving," said Karanveer, a PU student. "The organisers completely miscalculated the turnout. It felt like they didn't even expect people to show up," he added.
Inside the venue, the situation worsened when the barricades separating the general standing area from the VIP section got damaged. The cancellation of Dhillon's performance only added to the frustration, with many students accusing PU of failing to manage the event properly.
"We waited for so long trying to enter the campus, stood in long lines, and then the concert didn't even happen," said Simran, another student. "It felt claustrophobic everywhere — people pushing, no space to move, and it felt as if everything would collapse. It was absolute chaos," she added.
PUCSC'S STAR POWER RACE
This year's PUCSC is locked in a battle of one-upmanship, with each council member scrambling to bring in a bigger star than the last. Earlier this month, PUCSC general secretary Vineet Yadav's Aagaz festival featured Prem Dhillon, while vice-president Archit Garg's Jashn-e-Riwayat is set to host Gurdas Maan on March 25. Joint secretary Jasvinder Rana's Scitron is eyeing a Haryanvi singer. However, as the stars get bigger, so do the cracks in planning.