'Want this generation not take wrong turn': HC asks DUSU candidates not to repeat defacement

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) election candidates for an undertaking to not deface or mutilate any public property in future and granted them more time to finish cleaning up the mess created during election campaigning.

Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela directed those students who had expressed "remorse" to file affidavits and photographs to show the removal of posters and hoardings from the Delhi University (DU) campuses and other areas.

"The candidates are directed to file affidavits along with photographs clearly showing they have removed all posters and hoardings, banners and graffiti and have taken steps for beautification of both the north and south campuses of the DU. They should also give an undertaking in future, they shall neither deface or mutilate any public property," the bench said.

The court, which had earlier halted the counting of results, took note of certain videos showing "unnumbered" cars blocking roads and a car doing a "drag" on the road during the campaigning and emphasised the Delhi University administration "must realise" its "power" in terms of the Lyngdoh Committee guidelines while elections were being held.

The Lyngdoh Committee guidelines, accepted by the Supreme Court and the high court, pertain to the holding of the students' union elections, including the maximum permitted expenditure by a candidate.

Keeping in mind their student status, the court did not order FIRs against them and instead offered them another chance to "join hands and get the campus cleaned".

The court even interacted with some of the candidates present in court and remarked the DUSU candidates should set an example for other students instead of dirtying the whole university campus during elections.

The court had previously impleaded 16 students, who contested the DUSU elections 2024-25 held on September 27, as parties to the proceedings while directing them to appear before it.

All except one were present in the court on Monday.

"You (candidates) don't have the right to deface walls of either the university or anyone's private house. Who told you you can go and paint over it? Would you like that your house gets spray painted saying vote for x, vote for y? You must have a feeling for them, no?.. We want this generation not to take a wrong turn. We want them to improve," the court told the candidates.

The court went ahead to remark, "You are students. You should not be doing this. You will be setting a bad example for others. We have seen some videos where the highways are blocked by your supporters. That is not proper. Please get the university cleaned up. You seem to have a lot of funds at your disposal."

The court further noted several candidates belonged to the Buddhist Studies course and remarked that students "seem to be joining this course only to contest elections".

The DU counsel said the vice chancellor had also visited 30 colleges to check on the cleaning progress.

The court was hearing a petition by advocate Prashant Manchanda seeking action against the prospective DUSU candidates and student outfits for allegedly damaging, defacing, soiling and destroying public walls.

While the polling took place on September 27, the vote counting -- scheduled for September 28 -- was halted by the high court till all the defacement material, including posters, hoarding and graffiti, was removed and public property was restored.

Earlier, it also impleaded candidates-- Bhaanu Pratap Singh, Ronak Khatri, Yash Panwar, Rishabh Chaudhary, Lokesh Chaudhary, Yash Nandal, Rahul Singh Dedha, Aman Kapasia, Deepika Jha, Aman Kapasia, Shivam Maurya, Himanshu Nagar, Aaryan Maan, Rishi Raj Singh, Rahul Jhansla and Priyanshu Chaudhary.

The petitioner has alleged that major defacement has been carried out by these candidates.