Two days before the Delhi University Students’ Union elections, the university’s proctor on Tuesday asked college principals to maintain strict vigilance against any attempts by candidates or their supporters to lure students with free movie or adventure park tickets, or any other activity.
An ‘urgent’ advisory by Proctor Manoj Kumar Singh to principals, read, “It has come to our notice that certain candidates are attempting to lure students outside the college premises by offering attractions such as movies, adventure parks, and other activities. It has also been observed that buses are being parked outside college gates to pick up students.”
It directed principals to take immediate preventative measures against any such poll code violations.
“Kindly note that the responsibility for any such incident will rest entirely with the concerned college administration. If any student leaves the college in such buses and an unfortunate mishap occurs, the college authorities will be held fully accountable,” the advisory said.
Supporters clash
On Tuesday, the last day of campaigning, several supporters of the Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India and the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (APVP) clashed outside Kirori Mal College in North Campus.
The NSUI blamed the ABVP for “attacking several of its Purvanchal supporters” ahead of an event attended by Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai. NSUI president Varun Choudhary said that students would respond to such “intimidation” through the ballot.
“ABVP is rattled because the entire Purvanchal student community stands with NSUI,” Mr. Choudhary said.
The ABVP, in turn, blamed the NSUI for “vitiating” the university environment and “creating” an atmosphere of fear among students by Congress leaders taking out roadshows with “outsiders”.
ABVP Delhi secretary, Sathak Sharma, said, “The DU campus is meant to be a hub of learning and positive student politics, but Congress leaders’ interference has made the campus unsafe.”
Meanwhile, the Delhi police said that security has been tightened across the DU with over 200 police personnel, including senior officers, patrolling the campus daily.
“Additional CCTV cameras have been installed at strategic points in and around the campus, while 160 body-worn cameras have been provided to personnel on duty to keep a tight vigil during the DUSU elections”, said an officer.