New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has granted permission for the counting of votes for Delhi University Students Union elections. A bench headed by Chief Justice Manmohan directed the Delhi University to complete the counting process by November 26.
The High Court said that public properties should be cleaned and painted within a week. The High Court said that it is the responsibility of the current candidates and future candidates contesting the Student Union elections to keep the university's infrastructure clean and better.
It may be recalled that the counting of votes for Delhi University's Student Union elections was stayed, today a hearing was held in the Delhi High Court in that regard. The bench headed by Chief Justice Manmohan heard the matter. Earlier, the High Court had also refused to allow the counting of votes on October 28 and it had directed to file a fresh status report regarding cleaning.
During the hearing, petitioner and lawyer Prashant Manchanda had submitted a list of candidates to the High Court, who had defaced public properties during the elections.
The High Court had directed all the candidates to clean the damaged public properties. The court had directed the candidates to clean not only the college and university campus, but also the places in the city where dirt had been spread. The court had directed all the candidates to file an affidavit that they had cleaned the public properties. Candidates should also file photos related to cleaning in the court.
The court directs to file a fresh status report regarding cleanliness
Apart from this, the High Court had directed all the candidates to also file an affidavit stating that they would not deface public properties in future. It may be noted that on October 21, the court also said that till the public properties are cleaned, the counting of votes for the Delhi University Students Union elections cannot be allowed. The court had directed Delhi Metro and Delhi Police to file a fresh status report regarding cleanliness.
During the hearing, advocate Prashant Manchanda challenged the claim of Delhi University that 90 per cent of public properties have been cleaned. Then the court had said that we can initiate action against those who have defaced public properties.
The Delhi High Court, on October 9, reiterated that the counting of votes for the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections would not proceed until public properties were cleaned and restored. During the hearing, the court told student leaders that it was not trying to delay the election results, but insisted that they must first address the issue of damaged public properties. The court further instructed the students to clean and repaint affected areas, promising that the counting could take place the following day once the conditions were met.
The court also raised concerns over the scale of spending in the DUSU elections, comparing it to general elections. "We have not seen this kind of distribution of free food even in national elections," the judges remarked, highlighting the disproportionate expenditure. "More money is being spent in the student union elections than in the general elections. This should be a celebration of democracy, not a celebration of money laundering," the court added.
Earlier, on September 26, the High Court had put a stay on the vote counting, citing concerns about the election process and the misuse of resources. The court's directives have underscored its focus on ensuring that the election remains free of corruption and maintains its integrity.
Delhi University will have to compensate. The High Court had directed Delhi University and all the college administrations to keep the EVMs and ballot boxes safe and protected after the voting till further orders. The High Court had said that Delhi University will have to compensate the cost of cleaning all the public properties that have been defiled. The High Court had said that Delhi University can later recover this money from those candidates contesting the election, who have committed the said crime.
During a recent hearing, the Delhi High Court stressed the need for strict action against the misuse of money in the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections. The court questioned whether there was any record of the funds being spent on the elections and criticised the wasteful practices, particularly the widespread posting of campaign materials on walls and roads.
The High Court remarked that such waste should not be tolerated, emphasising that money should not be squandered in this manner. "Strict action should be taken," the court ordered, adding that the cost of removing the posters, which have been put up in the name of candidates, should be recovered from the candidates themselves.
Pointing out that elections are not solely contested by individuals but also by student organisations, the court further stressed, "You should not feel so helpless. Organisations are involved, and they should be held accountable for these practices."
Read more: DUSU 2024 Polls: Delhi HC Asks Candidates For Explanation Over Property Defacement
