New Delhi, Sep 15 A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Delhi High Court alleging that political parties have fielded their candidates for various posts in the upcoming Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections in violation of the norms.
The PIL, filed by a Delhi University student, has challenged the September 11 and August 13 notices by the Chief Election Officer announcing the DUSU polls and shortlisting the names of the contesting candidates.
The petition contended that members of student wings of political parties cannot be permitted to contest DUSU polls, as such participation is prohibited under the Lyngdoh Committee Report, which was accepted by the Supreme Court and the Centre.
A lawyer on Tuesday mentioned the matter before a bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia for an urgent hearing and
the bench permitted that the petition be listed on Wednesday.
"There is a violation of the judgment of the Supreme Court and the Lyngdoh Committee report, and the directives of the Ministry of HRD. There is a complete violation," said advocate Barun Kumar Sinha.
The plea emphasised that the Lyngdoh Committee has cautioned against the influence of political parties in student union elections, and therefore, recommended disassociation of student unions from political parties.
However, the SFI-AISA alliance, the Aam Aadmi Party student wing, the National Students’ Union of India and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad have declared candidates for various DUSU posts including President and Vice-President, the plea said.
The petition prayed for directions to ensure that the DUSU elections are conducted in conformity with the binding judicial directions and the regulatory framework to safeguard fairness, transparency and legality of the election process.
"The petitioner, being a student of the University of Delhi, has witnessed how political parties are converting the academic environment of the university campus into a political atmosphere during student union elections in the universities and colleges.
"The mutual harmony and academic discussions on the campuses of universities and colleges have been overtaken by political influence and discussions along political lines. Consequently, bitterness is making inroads among the students, which ultimately affects teaching and learning in the University," claimed the petition.
"The unchecked political interference in student union elections has resulted in deterioration of the academic atmosphere within university campuses, thereby adversely affecting the fundamental rights of students guaranteed under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India," it added.
