Parties asked to remove posters; AISA questions silence of university administration

Organisations contesting in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections were on Thursday warned of action if they did not stop defacing public property by putting up posters and banners.

DUSU chief election officer S. B. Babbar issued a notice to the student parties asking them to remove their posters and banners within 36 hours, failing which their candidate nominations would be cancelled.

Complaints received

“The Proctor’s office and the DUSU election office have received many complaints about defacement of public and private properties across the city. These are gross violations of the DUSU code of conduct, Lyngdoh Committee recommendations and the NGT order,” the notice read.

The notice also pointed out that cavalcades of vehicles (more than four) with banners had been observed moving on the campus as well as adjoining areas, which was not permitted under the DUSU code of conduct.

Several student organisations have been campaigning against the wastage of paper and defacement of public property over the past few weeks.

Notices have been put up warning parties that they would be boycotted if they put up such posters.

Protest held

Meanwhile, the All India Students’ Union (AISA) on Thursday organised a protest titled “Our university is not your dustbin”.

The organisation lashed out at the DU administration over the violation of the DUSU election code of conduct and demanded a check on the “brazen show of money and muscle power in the university”.

‘Show of money’

DU AISA president Kawalpreet Kaur said: “The campus has been turned into a dustbin with numerous pamphlets strewn around. Further, there is no check on the entry of outsiders. All this is a brazen show of money and muscle power.”

AISA activist Parul Chauhan added, “The use of posters shows that they have no fear of the law. The university administration is also silent over the violation of the code of conduct.”