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DDU varsity election within a month: HC
THE ONGOING tussle between the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University authorities and students leaders took a dramatic turn on Friday when in a significant decision Allahabad High Court directed the university authorities to conduct students union election within a month and ruled that no under-trial can contest the election. The court has also directed the authorities to provide appropriate security to the candidates in the election.
No undertrial can contest
THE ONGOING tussle between the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University authorities and students leaders took a dramatic turn on Friday when in a significant decision Allahabad High Court directed the university authorities to conduct students union election within a month and ruled that no under-trial can contest the election.
The court has also directed the authorities to provide appropriate security to the candidates in the election.
The significant decision came over a writ petition filed by a candidate of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad for the president’s post Shrikant Mishra.
While talking to Hindustan Times, acting vice-chancellor Prof AK Mittal admitted that though he had been informed about the decision but he was yet to get a copy of the decision.
He said after receiving the copy, university authorities would go through it and it would be then placed before the working committee and the academic council.
Only then fresh date for the students’ union election could be declared, he said.
It is notable that V-C Prof Arun Kumar had postponed the election scheduled for December 12 after confusion over debarring the students with criminal background from contesting the election. The V-C had referred the issue to the Advocate General for expert legal opinion.
Irked over the V-C’s decision for abruptly postponing the election, students had hit the street and they had given Gorakhpur bandh call on Tuesday.
On Friday too, students staged dharna and hunger strike and took out a silent protest march to demands fresh date for election. They also launched a signature campaign to press their demands.
In a meeting, the students decided to take out a symbolic funeral procession of Prof Arun Kumar on Saturday. The president of outgoing union Rajiv Pandey, Kaushal Tripathi and others blamed the V-C for creating unnecessary confusion to postpone the election.
Meanwhile, university administration also stepped up its preparation in view of the election. Barricading was erected in the university and security forces were deployed to foil any attempt to disturb peace.
