HC disposes plea after DU clarifies no mandatory Rs 1 lakh security money for DUSU elections

NEW DELHI: Delhi University on Friday informed the Delhi High Court that there was no pre-requisite to deposit money to contest its student union elections.

DU made the submission before Justice Mini Pushkarna, who was hearing a plea alleging a new notification by the university mandates Rs 1 lakh security bond as a pre-condition for contesting the DU student union (DUSU) polls.

The DU counsel said the university would instead receive an affidavit along with a security bond, and no money had to be deposited. The court noted the submission and disposed of the petition.

The notification mandated poll candidates to execute a bond for potential defacement or violations by themselves or supporters, the petition claimed.

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It had claimed the cause was "ultra vires" to the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations. The petition was filed by Anjali and Abhishek Kumar, who claimed to be the DU students and aspire to contest the Delhi University Students' Union elections.

The petitioners claimed the "preventive financial imposition" created an "arbitrary classification based on wealth, excluding ordinary students while favouring the affluent, in violation of Articles 14 (equality and non-arbitrariness), 19(1)(a) (free speech in democratic participation), and 21 (right to life with dignity and equal opportunity) of the Constitution".