ABVP condemns Khalsa College’s withdrawal from DUSU elections

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has strongly condemned Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College’s decision to disassociate itself from the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections.

The college’s announcement, which made just days before the DUSU elections, has sparked a major controversy among student unions. While the ABVP denounced the move, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) accused the ABVP of being involved in the decision, claiming that the shift was made under the ABVP’s pressure.

In a formal letter addressed to the Registrar of DU, Khalsa College cited instructions from its parent body for the decision. In the letter, it was stated that the college would now nominate the office-bearers of the student union through its staff advisory committee, adhering to the Lyngdoh Committee’s requirements for student elections, including the mandatory 75 per cent attendance rule, no academic arrears and no disciplinary cases against candidates.

The ABVP responded swiftly by filing a writ petition in the Delhi High Court.

Activists Rachit Rai and Utkarsh Bhatt from the ABVP challenged the “unilateral and autocratic” decision of the Khalsa College’s governing committee.

The petition argues that the reclassification of colleges under the Khalsa Governing Committee, which includes Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College and Sri Govind Singh College of Commerce, from the status of DUSU to non-DUSU violates the rules and regulations laid down by the Delhi University and Lyngdoh Committee.

Delhi ABVP’s state secretary Harsh Attri condemned the decision, saying, “The reclassification of Khalsa College as non-DUSU is unfortunate and autocratic. The ABVP demands the immediate withdrawal of this decision. Instead of expanding the DUSU category, a DUSU college has been removed, which the ABVP will strongly oppose.”

The ABVP activists have staged an indefinite protest, demanding the reversal of the reclassification. The organisation says that the DUSU elections have historically played a crucial role in India’s political landscape, producing several prominent leaders. “Shutting down democratic elections on educational campuses that are critical for personality development will not be accepted,” Attri said.

Meanwhile, the NSUI accused the ABVP of influencing the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) to cancel the DUSU elections at Khalsa College. NSUI national president Varun Choudhary alleged that the ABVP was afraid of facing the elections.

“The ABVP is scared because they know they will lose,” Choudhary said, further challenging it by saying, “NSUI will win these elections.” The NSUI also labelled the decision as undemocratic and demanded the immediate reinstatement of elections at Khalsa College.

As the controversy intensifies, the fate of DUSU elections at Khalsa College remains uncertain, with the student unions gearing up for a legal and political battle over the decision.