New Delhi, Just days away from the DUSU elections scheduled for September 27, Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College has refused to participate in the students' union elections, sparking protests.
In a letter to the Delhi University administration, university principal Gurmohinder Singh announced that they would conduct their own student elections.
The decision, he said, was taken on the directions of the university's parent body, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC).
The DSGMC governs four colleges of the University of Delhi: Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College and Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, all of which are affiliated to DUSU.
However, Mata Sundri College for Women, another college under DSGMC, is not affiliated with DUSU.
Earlier this year, the DSGMC had declared that its colleges would not participate in the DUSU elections.
The principal of Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College added that the college's own elections would have officials nominated by the Staff Advisory Committee and would follow the guidelines of the Lyngdoh Committee.
In his letter dated September 3, he wrote: “This is the reason to inform you that in accordance with the instructions of the parent body, communicated directly to you and other Khalsa institutions of the University of Delhi, a decision is being made to dissociate our university. Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College of DUSU elections."
"It is being resolved that henceforth the officers of the Students' Union shall be appointed by the Staff Advisory Committee of the Students' Union subject to the provisions of the Lyngdoh Committee."
The decision sparked protests on Thursday, with student members of both the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Congress-run National Students Union of India (NSUI) gathering at the university to voice their objections.
The ABVP also filed a petition in the Delhi court, challenging the disassociation of DSGMC colleges from DUSU.
The ABVP condemned the decision of the Khalsa College Governing Committee, terming it as "autocratic".
They criticized the reclassification of DSGMC colleges from DUSU affiliated to non-DUSU colleges without the approval of the university administration. They launched an "indefinite strike" demanding the reversal of the decision.
However, there was no response from Delhi University Registrar Vikas Gupta in this regard.
Meanwhile, NSUI members also protested, alleging that the cancellation of the elections was done under pressure from the ABVP to favor them.
NSUI National President Varun Choudhary stated, "NSUI has consistently maintained a strong position in the Khalsa College elections. ABVP is clearly afraid of facing elections. They know they will lose. I openly challenge them that NSUI will win 4-0 in these elections". He added: "The cancellation, carried out under pressure from the ABVP, is considered a blatant attempt to favor them."
In a letter to the Delhi University administration, university principal Gurmohinder Singh announced that they would conduct their own student elections.
The decision, he said, was taken on the directions of the university's parent body, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC).
The DSGMC governs four colleges of the University of Delhi: Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College and Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, all of which are affiliated to DUSU.
However, Mata Sundri College for Women, another college under DSGMC, is not affiliated with DUSU.
Earlier this year, the DSGMC had declared that its colleges would not participate in the DUSU elections.
The principal of Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College added that the college's own elections would have officials nominated by the Staff Advisory Committee and would follow the guidelines of the Lyngdoh Committee.
In his letter dated September 3, he wrote: “This is the reason to inform you that in accordance with the instructions of the parent body, communicated directly to you and other Khalsa institutions of the University of Delhi, a decision is being made to dissociate our university. Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College of DUSU elections."
"It is being resolved that henceforth the officers of the Students' Union shall be appointed by the Staff Advisory Committee of the Students' Union subject to the provisions of the Lyngdoh Committee."
The decision sparked protests on Thursday, with student members of both the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Congress-run National Students Union of India (NSUI) gathering at the university to voice their objections.
The ABVP also filed a petition in the Delhi court, challenging the disassociation of DSGMC colleges from DUSU.
The ABVP condemned the decision of the Khalsa College Governing Committee, terming it as "autocratic".
They criticized the reclassification of DSGMC colleges from DUSU affiliated to non-DUSU colleges without the approval of the university administration. They launched an "indefinite strike" demanding the reversal of the decision.
However, there was no response from Delhi University Registrar Vikas Gupta in this regard.
Meanwhile, NSUI members also protested, alleging that the cancellation of the elections was done under pressure from the ABVP to favor them.
NSUI National President Varun Choudhary stated, "NSUI has consistently maintained a strong position in the Khalsa College elections. ABVP is clearly afraid of facing elections. They know they will lose. I openly challenge them that NSUI will win 4-0 in these elections". He added: "The cancellation, carried out under pressure from the ABVP, is considered a blatant attempt to favor them."
