The Delhi High Court, today, Wednesday, September 25, expressed its firm disapproval of the widespread defacement of public property during the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections. This was stated in a report by PTI.
The court directed the university's vice-chancellor to take strict measures, including the potential annulment of the elections, or defer them until the defacement is cleared.
A bench led by Chief Justice Designate Manmohan, along with Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, noted that vast sums of money were apparently being spent by the candidates. They urged the university to step in immediately and enforce strict action.
The court criticised the behaviour of those involved, stating, “People are behaving like illiterates in a place of learning”, and emphasised that elections should not corrupt the youth.
Furthermore, the bench proposed deferring the elections, scheduled for September 27, disqualifying candidates and restarting the nomination process, or proceeding with polling without declaring results until all defacement is removed.
The university's counsel, speaking on behalf of the chief election officer, requested that the matter be revisited tomorrow, Thursday, September 26, as a decision was expected by then.
The court scheduled the next hearing accordingly and instructed the Delhi Police to collaborate with Delhi University, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and Delhi Metro to ensure no further defacement occurs, and that existing damage is rectified.
The court remarked, “Look at the amount of defacement done. The vice chancellor should act on this, and if annulment is required, let it be done. Let all the money spent go to waste. Whoever’s poster is there, send them the bill.”
In addition to this, reviewing photos of the defacement, the bench commented that the situation during the DUSU elections was worse than in general elections. It highlighted that elections are meant to be a celebration of democracy, not an opportunity for money laundering, and warned that this type of behaviour promotes corruption among students at an early stage.
The bench added, “The election system is not meant to corrupt the youth. The use of such vast sums of money in student elections corrupts them from the outset. In a place of learning, people are behaving like illiterates. Only an illiterate can act this way.”
Justice Manmohan expressed frustration, remarking, “Is this being done by literates or illiterates? This kind of defacement can only be carried out by those lacking education. This shows the failure of our education system, and such activities should be handled with a heavy hand.”
He continued, “First, clean it up. It must be repainted, restored, and only then should elections take place.”
The case originated from a plea filed by advocate Prashant Manchanda, seeking action against DUSU candidates and student groups involved in damaging public and university property. He called for accountability in restoring the areas affected by defacement and ensuring a clean environment for citizens and students.
In response, the DU counsel stated that erring candidates had already been issued show-cause notices regarding disqualification for defacement. The council also highlighted that the Lyngdoh Committee caps election expenses at Rs 5,000 per candidate.
Meanwhile, the MCD informed the court that four truckloads of posters and banners had already been removed, but much more defacement remained. The MCD also noted that police were not cooperating in removal efforts.
The court reprimanded the university's chief election officer, stressing that he had full authority to take action against rule violators. It added that candidates could afford to pay for the removal of posters if they could afford to deface public spaces in the first place.
The petitioner also requested that authorities enforce strict adherence to anti-defacement guidelines during the DUSU elections.
The court had previously addressed this issue in 2019 when it directed authorities to ensure a strict ban on the defacement of public property during DUSU elections and take swift action against violators.
