New Delhi: Delhi High Court Wednesday sought the stand of Delhi University on a plea alleging that the candidates who won the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections violated the court’s recent direction prohibiting victory processions.A bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia was hearing a fresh application moved by petitioner Prashant Manchanda. He said that, despite the court’s clear direction, some winning candidates took out victory processions.The court noted that all DUSU candidates had already been issued showcause notices in an earlier order, including those who won the elections and asked Manchanda to include all relevant material related to the alleged violations and place it before the court.Senior advocate Kirti Uppal, appearing for Delhi University, submitted that after winning the elections, certain sentiments are difficult to control. This year, even dhols were not brought out, Uppal said.The court, however, said the issue was not merely about drums or celebrations but about the display of money and muscle power.“Even dhol would have been fine. The difficulty is otherwise. The difficulty is the show of (muscle and money power). That is the concern. Things need to be done,” it remarked.The hearing came days after the high court on Sept 18 issued notices to all student organisations and the 140 candidates contesting the elections, asking them to show cause as to why they should not be saddled with exemplary electoral damages for alleged violations of the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations and earlier judicial orders.The court had also directed that no victory procession should be taken out by candidates, students, supporters or anyone else, either on Delhi’s roads, on university campuses and in hostels.The proceedings arise from a petition filed by Manchanda in 2017, seeking action against candidates allegedly involved in defacement of public property. He sought directions for the removal of such defacement and refurbishment of affected areas.The petitioner alleged vandalism and other violations during the DUSU election process, contending that such conduct violates the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations and judicial directions issued from time to time.The Lyngdoh Committee recommendations prescribe safeguards for student elections, including keeping university elections free from political party influence.
