New Delhi, Chaos broke out during students’ council elections at Delhi University’s Gargi College on Friday, with rival groups trading allegations of misconduct, intimidation and attempts to influence the poll process.
Videos of the commotion have been circulating on social media, including one in which a presidential candidate is seen alleging mistreatment on campus during the election process.
In the video, the candidate claimed she was “treated disrespectfully” and physically pushed out of the college premises by teachers after they learnt her political affiliation.
She also alleged she was made to wait for hours and pressured into signing documents certifying that the student elections were being conducted fairly.
“The ballot boxes were not inspected prior to the election, and the voting process was initiated without obtaining my signature,” she alleged in the video.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) backed the candidate’s claims and accused the college administration of pressuring her to withdraw her nomination. The organisation alleged she was denied entry into the hall during voting and counting, and was subjected to “rude and disrespectful” behaviour.
ABVP Delhi state secretary Sarthak Sharma demanded the elections be annulled and fresh polls be conducted.
“The manner in which the elections are being conducted runs contradictory to democratic values. We demand that elections be cancelled and held again in a fair manner,” he said, alleging that the process was being influenced to favour rival student groups.
Meanwhile, the Delhi University unit of Students’ Federation of India (SFI) condemned the incident and accused ABVP activists of disrupting the election process.
According to SFI, the situation escalated after Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) president Aryan Mann arrived at the college, following which ABVP-affiliated individuals allegedly forced their way into the campus. The organisation termed the incident “completely unacceptable”, especially within a women’s college, and raised concerns over student safety and democratic functioning.
SFI demanded strict action against those responsible and called for a thorough investigation into the incident.
No immediate response was available from the college administration.
