Clean mess if you want election results declared: Delhi High Court to DUSU candidates

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) candidates to clean all campus structures defaced during the polls if they wanted vote count take place. The high court, which had on September 26 halted the counting of votes and declaration of results of DUSU and colleges elections, said its purpose was only to send a message that such violations would not be tolerated and not to thwart the election process.

"Why don't you clean up the mess. The day the place is cleaned up, we will allow the counting of votes the very next day," a bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said. The court was hearing an application filed by two candidates who contested the college elections in two separate DU colleges, seeking declaration of results. The candidates submitted that they would ensure the premises of their colleges are cleaned by the students and re-painted in coordination with the varsity. The application was filed in a pending petition seeking action against the DUSU candidates and student outfits involved in damaging, defacing, soiling or destroying the beauty of public walls.

Petitioner Prashant Manchanda, a practising advocate, said the erring candidates and their parties be directed to remove the defacement and refurbish the areas and further take efforts for beautification of the destroyed portions. The court granted time to the candidates, petitioner, MCD, and DMRC to file their status reports and listed the matter for October 21.

The court had on September 26 halted the counting of votes of DUSU and college elections till all the defacement material, including posters, hoarding and graffiti, is removed and public property is restored. It had said the election may proceed but the counting of votes will not take place till the court is satisfied that defacement of property has been removed. The polling was held on September 27 and the counting of votes was to be done on September 28.