NEW DELHI: A day after the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) election results, newly elected office-bearers began their respective campaigns on Monday, foregrounding student safety, accommodation and accountability as key concerns.
Independent vice-president Deepanshu Shokeen marked his first day by visiting the underground cell at the Viceregal Lodge now the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, where freedom fighter Bhagat Singh was once held. Calling it a source of inspiration, Shokeen said the visit strengthened his resolve “to fight and raise my voice for the right.”
He later met the Dean of Students’ Welfare even before formally assuming office, submitting a charter of demands. These included implementation of a rent control mechanism for paying guest (PG) accommodations, expansion of hostel facilities, a safety audit of private PGs around the campus, and compensation for victims of the September 6 Satya Niketan building collapse.
Meanwhile, leaders affiliated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which secured three of the four central panel posts, visited Satya Niketan to pay homage to those killed in the collapse. DUSU president Yash Dabas, along with the secretary and joint secretary, reached the site in the evening and called for fixing responsibility and preventing such incidents in the future.
The ABVP retained the posts of president, secretary and joint secretary, with Dabas defeating NSUI’s Vijay Shankar Meena by 2,053 votes, polling 24,576 votes in the presidential contest.
The Satya Niketan incident, which claimed seven lives, has since become a rallying point across student groups, raising concerns over unsafe accommodation and lack of regulatory oversight in areas housing large student populations.
On the other hand, NSUI’s presidential candidate Vijay Shankar Meena, who lost the polls, announced a ‘Campus Bachao Yatra’ starting September 22. Addressing students at the Arts Faculty, Meena said the campaign would focus on issues outlined in the organisation’s “Accountable DU: Accountable DUSU” manifesto.
Seeking clarity on the Delhi government’s recent announcement to construct hostels for 10,000 students, Meena questioned the absence of timelines and specifics. “Students need more than announcements; they need a clear action plan,” he said.