AAP leader Atishi Marlena with office bearers. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)
AAP’s student wing, Chatra Yuva Sangarsh Sansthan (CYSS), and the Left-leaning All India Students’ Association (AISA), who have tied up ahead of the Delhi University Students’ Union polls, released their manifesto on Saturday, promising CCTVs in colleges and police booths on campus.
Incidentally, AISA had protested against installation of CCTVs in JNU, and had removed them from the administrative block. At the time, the outfit had said it rejected the administration’s “surveillance mechanism”.
Asked about the contradictory stands in the two universities, Sucheta De, AISA’s national president, said, “The situation on the two campuses is different. In JNU, the administration is trying to destroy everything that JNU stood for. It was more for surveillance and moral policing, which we are against. In DU, we are asking for it to stop hooliganism and propagate the policy of zero tolerance towards violence.”
For CYSS, installation of CCTVs was also part of their manifesto in 2015, when the outfit suffered a rout in the polls.
The other new announcement it made was setting up ‘chatra clinics’ in DU colleges, along the lines of mohalla clinics across the capital. “In DU, students come from all over the country. So it is important that they get access to affordable and good healthcare. We will also talk to colleges and ask them to provide space to set up the clinic,” said AAP leader, Atishi, who released the manifesto along with office bearers of the student organisation.
It also promised starting buses specifically for DU and for women. When asked why the buses were withdrawn in 2015, during AAP’s rule, Atishi said, “Everyone knows that procurement of buses had been stuck. Now, with Supreme Court clearance to purchase 1,000 buses for cluster services, we’ll be able to provide these to students.”
The manifesto also promised libraries in DU colleges round-the-clock, and more reading material in Hindi. The polls are to be held on September 12.
SFI Candidate ‘attacked’
New Delhi: The SFI alleged that their presidential candidate for the DUSU polls was attacked by NSUI members Saturday.
The NSUI denied the allegation. Police are yet to register an FIR.