The political fight over the protest at Lovely Professional University in Punjab moved to the national stage on Monday, with the BJP accusing the Aam Aadmi Party government of using police force against protesting students, including women.Addressing the media at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, party national spokesperson and media co-convener Pradeep Bhandari alleged that the lathicharge had taken place under the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal. He questioned why the government had used force against students instead of addressing their concerns.Bhandari also alleged that outsiders had attempted to enter and influence the students’ protest. Referring to visuals and accounts cited during his briefing, he claimed masked individuals were not students of the university and alleged that attempts at arson were also visible.The BJP spokesperson questioned whether the alleged presence of outsiders was an attempt to disrupt or hijack the protest. He said the issue raised questions about the handling of law and order in Punjab and about who should be held accountable for the action against the students.The attack was also extended to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Bhandari asked why Gandhi and Kejriwal, whom he said regularly post videos and statements on public issues, had not spoken about the incident at the university.Bhandari sought answers from Mann and Kejriwal on six points, including the alleged entry of outsiders into the campus, the reported presence of masked people and the use of police force against students. He alleged that the incident formed part of a wider opposition “toolkit” aimed at diverting attention from issues concerning young people.He linked the Punjab incident to alleged lathicharges on youth in Karnataka and Telangana, arguing that students’ protests in opposition ruled states were being met with police action rather than solutions.The BJP leader said the episode was not only about one university protest but had wider political implications. “In Punjab, the youth are not getting justice; they are getting batons from the Aam Aadmi Party government,” he said, framing the incident as a test of how governments respond when young people raise their voices.Bhandari also questioned the division of responsibility between Mann and Kejriwal, referring to Kejriwal as Punjab’s “Super CM”, and demanded accountability for the law and order situation.