ABVP kicks off poll campaign with rally

NEW DELHI: The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Thursday sounded the

poll bugle

with a massive

‘chatra adhikar rally’

in Delhi University’s

North Campus

. Thousands of students assembled to demand concessional pass for metro ride, construction of new colleges and hostels, increase in number of bus pass counters, scholarships and fellowship for SC, ST and OBC students and setting up of CCTV cameras in the campus.

While ABVP members said they will announce their panel of candidates on September 5, the event was also attended by potential candidates whose names are doing the rounds. “This was planned so that students are familiar with the faces they may have to vote for,” a member said. Several of the members also raised slogans in support of these potential candidates.

While addressing students during the rally, ABVP state secretary Bharat Khatana said, “Through this rally we want to register our demands with the Centre and the state government and also request the Delhi University administration to take positive steps and fulfil our demands, as these are beneficial for the students.”

The national joint organising secretary of ABVP, Shri Niwas, claimed that “the flood of students present today, makes it clear that ABVP will win the polls.” Delhi University Students Union election will be held on September 12.

Niwas also pointed out that ABVP has been working for students’ rights since 1949. “On Thursday ABVP also staged a nationwide protest against the mess in distribution of scholarships and fellowships. The ABVP has given 15-day time to the government to fulfil the demands like linking of scholarships with respect to price index, increment in number of beneficiaries of fellowship for SC, ST and OBC students, increase in the number of hostels etc,” he added.

He stated that they will “expose the ‘urban Naxals’ hidden in different universities”.

The ABVP’s national media convener Monika Choudhary said that setting up of CCTV cameras in DU should be mandatory to ensure security of women students. She also addressed the students and said that they should analyse the work done by the ABVP and the NSUI in the last one year and decide on their own.

“Students must ask NSUI members about the withdrawal of Rs 11lakh from DUSU funds without doing even a single activity for students,” she added.