A day after Delhi University (DU) announced that over 5,000 students will participate in the Run for Viksit Bharat event to be hosted by the institution, the Delhi University Teachers’ Front on Friday, May 3, questioned the university administration’s decision asking if it had “turned to bat for Modi”, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
The teachers’ body issued a joint statement saying Viksit Bharat is a campaign touted by the BJP-led Centre and an election agenda for Narendra Modi and the saffron party.
Members of the Delhi University Teachers’ Front (DTF) urged the university to call off the event.
DU administration, on Thursday, announced the Run for Viksit Bharat event to held on May 8. The teachers’ body, however, alleged that the programme is being conducted in violation of the Model Code of Conduct of the Election Commission (EC) enforced in view of the Lok Sabha elections.
“Previously, the EC had legally admonished the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for circulating messages about the Viksit Bharat Abhiyan in March 2024,” the teachers’ body pointed out in its statement.
DU Teachers’ Association says
Meanwhile, DU Teachers’ Association President A K Bhagi said the event has nothing to do with elections and the Viksit Bharat campaign should be supported or opposed based on its merits, not based on the party that brought it.
“In the run-up to this proposed violation of the model code of conduct, a functionary of the ruling party in the incumbent union government has been involved in preparatory activities. It is clear that a public institution is sought to be converted into an appendage of the outgoing ruling dispensation to influence the decisions of voters. If this was not the case, then this event could have been scheduled for a date after the Lok Sabha elections have been concluded. Surely, Bharat needs Vikas through an Abhiyan even after the first week of June 2024.” the teachers’ association asserted.
“The Delhi University administration claims that this event is being organized to create awareness about and participation in the Lok Sabha elections. But if this is the case, why call it ‘Run for Viksit Bharat’ rather than ‘Run for Participative Democracy’? Moreover, if the intention was to increase voter awareness and participation in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, the event ought to have been organized only with the prior permission and involvement of the Election Commission,” the DTF statement issued on May 3 said, asserting that the university should abstain from providing a platform to a functionary of the ruling party.
DTF President Nandita Narain said, “Delhi University is failing in its responsibility towards students. Colleges will be forced to send students for this event. It is the fag end of the teaching-learning calendar. Practical exams are already scheduled, and students are busy preparing for exams and submissions. Scheduling this event at such a time will disrupt the teaching-learning process as well as the ability of students to prepare themselves academically for the forthcoming end-semester exams.”
‘Model code of conduct violated’
The teachers’ body condemned what it termed as a brazen attempt by the Delhi University administration to undermine the public status of the educational institution, in violation of the Model Code of Conduct of the Election Commission (EC) enforced in view of the Lok Sabha elections, stated The New Indian Express report.
The Delhi University Teachers’ Front urged the university administration to call off the “illegal event immediately.”
